CCG’s are made up of doctors, nurses and other professionals who use their training and knowledge of the local health needs to plan and buy services for their patients from any service provider who meets NHS standards and costs. The providers could be NHS Hospitals, private Hospitals or voluntary organisations. This means; Better care for patients which is designed with knowledge of local services, commissioned in response to their needs.

NHS England is a National organisation which has area teams. Their role is to deliver the Department of Health’s ambitions for the NHS working with commissioners and providers of services. They will directly commission;

• GP Practices
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Optometrists
• Specialised services such as HIV care or heart transplants

Public Health England - This is a National body which works with local authorities’ public health teams to protect and improve the Nations health, work will include;

• Co-ordinating work to combat infectious diseases such as Flu
• Co-ordinating work to combat infections in Hospitals such as MRSA
• Deliver National publicity campaigns to prevent ill health

Primary Care Trusts have handed over responsibility to Clinical Commissioning Groups, most people won’t notice any difference, they will still visit their GP when they feel unwell or contact their local council for ongoing personal care needs. The changes are about giving local communities and patients more say in the care that they receive and doctors and nurses more freedom to shape services to meet peoples needs, to improve the quality of the support care and treatment that we require.

To view a map showing the CCG's please click on the link below; http://www.england.nhs.uk/resources/ccg-maps