The document discusses changes to the NHS in England, including the replacement of Primary Care Trusts with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and the establishment of new strategic bodies like Health and Wellbeing Boards. It explains that CCGs will now be responsible for commissioning healthcare services and managing budgets, while still aiming to improve quality and outcomes. It encourages readers to get involved with their local CCG through patient groups to help shape and influence healthcare planning and decisions.

1. The Changing NHS and Your CCG
Stephanie Belgeonne
Joint Director of Communications
and Engagement

2. How has the NHS changed?
• Primary Care Trusts are closing in 2013
• GPs have formed Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
• To support these new CCGs and strengthen health and social care
services, when also having to make significant efficiency
savings, the current PCTs and local councils have formed the
Birmingham and Solihull Cluster
• As the NHS continues to change, new strategic bodies are being set
up offering more opportunities to get involved.

3. New strategic bodies
The Health and Wellbeing Board will:
Promote public health, health improvements and tackle health
inequalities
Strengthen relationships between health and social care, agree priorities
and encourage commissioners to work in a more joined up way.
help give communities a greater say in understanding and addressing
their health and social care needs.
The National Commissioning Board will:
 ensure that the NHS delivers better outcomes for patients and
communities within its available resources.
Provide clinical leadership and support to CCGs
Involve patients & the public and promote choice

4. Opportunities in this new environment
The changing NHS creates opportunities across the system to:
– redefine relationships between GPs, other
clinicians, partners, patients, carers and the local community
– Move decision making closer to the patient
– focus on outcomes - the impact of health care
– increase patient and public influence through getting involved in
patient and CCG groups, LINk and Healthwatch
– improve peoples health and well being
– Promote better healthcare, social care and health improvement
together with Health and Wellbeing Boards and the National
Commissioning Board

5. What does this mean for your CCG?
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will be responsible for:
• commissioning health care services to meet the needs of their
patients
• managing the funding to provide the quality services that their
patients need and to improve the health and well being of their
local population
• meeting the challenges of achieving significant efficiency savings
whilst keeping a firm grip on quality and improvement.
• involving patients and local people in the planning and
commissioning of services – ‘no decision about me without me’

6. What does this mean for you?
Although the NHS is changing, we are still committed to ensuring that you
have the opportunity to get involved and influence the planning and
development of your health services
You can influence your CCG’s decision making at different levels:
•Patient Participation Groups
•CCG Patient Reference Groups
•CCG Boards
LINks and Healthwatch can strengthen the local voice to inform service changes
We hope you will use the range of opportunities to get involved and tell us your
concerns, ideas and experiences to help us continually improve local services in
ways that matter to you and your community.