Merger proposal put forward for the eight CCGs in North West London

After discussing proposals for over a year, the eight NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in North West London have now put forward a proposal to merge into a single CCG.

These eight CCGs are: Brent, Central London, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and West London.

According to the CCGs, this merger will help the groups meet the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan as well as facilitate one organisation that will buy and commission services for all in North West London.

The CCGs have been discussing the merger proposal for over a year, with plans now in place for this to take effect in April 2021. Engagement with the public took place last year and the CCGs will now be discussing further with local people and organisations over the next six weeks.

Jo Ohlson, Accountable Officer for the North West London CCGs, said: “All eight CCG governing bodies agreed last year that this was the right direction of travel. Going forward we will retain a focus on managing key relationships locally, working closely with our GPs, hospitals, local councils, Healthwatch and voluntary organisations.

“Each borough will continue to have its own team to ensure that the right services are provided for local needs. We have learned a great deal from the Covid-19 pandemic, notably about how we function better as one organisation as joint working across all parts of the NHS, in partnership with social care, has been critical to our response.”

The next steps for the CCGs will be to consult with the local councils in North West London, all eight CCG governing bodies and local GP members.

If the CCGs and GPs approve the proposal, the merger application will be sent to NHS England and Improvement at the end of September 2020.