DOCTORS in Dorset have been given the green light to take control of the NHS budget in the county.
The NHS Commissioning Board has authorised the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to take over the statutory responsibility from the Primary Care Trust.
The CCG will plan and commission hospital, community health and mental health services for Dorset’s 750,000 residents from April 2013.
Dr Forbes Watson, who is a West Dorset GP and chairman of NHS Dorset CCG said: “Over the last year we have been working hard to demonstrate that are ready to carry out our new role of ensuring local health needs are met and these are making a real difference for local communities.
“We are delighted that the NHS Commissioning Board has recognised our efforts and we have achieved the standards that show we are ready for this role. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the authorisation process for their efforts over the past year which has helped us to achieve this and we look forward to working with our partners to achieve our mission”.
Each of the 102 GP practices in Dorset, including Bournemouth and Poole, is a member of the CCG and they are currently working to plan and fund a range of services.
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