New structures for NHS bodies
The number of PCTs in England will reduce from 303 to 152 from October. From July, the number of SHAs will fall from 28 to 10 and the existing 29 ambulance trusts will merge into 12 bodies.
The new PCTs will improve strategic commissioning including practice based commissioning, giving the clinicians closest to patients more control over the services that are commissioned.
Patients will benefit from improved collaborative working between PCTs and social services thanks to more shared boundaries with local authorities. The new PCTs will also deliver better value for money as a result of greater purchasing power and lower administrative costs.
The changes, which follow local consultation with members of the public, staff and other stakeholders, equip the NHS to deliver the next stage of health reforms. The new system will ensure that services are shaped around patients' needs and deliver the commitments in the recent White Paper.
