Devo health in Greater Manchester starts to kick in

A STRATEGIC Partnership Board has been set up as part of the devolution of Greater Manchester’s health and care services.

It outlines how 38 organisations will work together to improve the region’s health outcomes as quickly as possible.

The Board will run in shadow format from next month, with wider details to be finalised early next year, ready for full operation by April 2016.

The governance plans have been developed from February’s historic health and social care devolution announcement – and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the region’s 10 local authorities, 12 NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and 15 NHS providers.

February’s MoU was an outline of a start of a process from April 1, which put local people in the driving seat for deciding on health and social care services to suit Greater Manchester.

One of the key principles behind the MoU was that there would be no reorganisation of the NHS or its mandate. It also underlined the need for Greater Manchester to establish strong ongoing governance for the work undertaken together.

The Board will be responsible for setting out the vision for Greater Manchester’s health and social care economy to achieve the aims of devolution.

Membership of the Strategic Partnership Board will also include representatives from primary care (GPs, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists), third sector (voluntary and charity groups) and patient groups; Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service; Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.

The Board will be responsible for the financial and clinical sustainability of Greater Manchester health and care, through the delivery of the Strategic Plan.

This plan explains what is to be led and agreed on a local level in each of the 10 Greater Manchester areas – and what will be led and agreed at a Greater Manchester level. These regional decisions will be taken by the Greater Manchester Joint Commissioning Board – whose core membership is made up of 10 local authorities and 12 CCGs and also NHS England.

Lord Peter Smith, GMCA lead on health, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to design a system that brings the delivery of health and social care together in Greater Manchester to improve health, give better outcomes for residents and reduce health inequalities in the region.”

Dr Hamish Stedman, chair of the Association of Greater Manchester CCGs, said: “These plans are the start of a formal framework which mean we can carry on working with the same momentum and scale as in the last six months, which is key to driving our devolution ambitions.”

Ann Barnes, chief executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and chair of the Greater Manchester Provider Trust, said: “February’s devolution announcement was a landmark event when we said the atmosphere was so charged, that it fizzed like champagne at a wedding reception.

“Well, if that was the reception, this new agreement is now the marriage and the day-to-day nurturing of our relationship.

“As NHS Trust providers we look forward to our role in better connected services that bring real benefits for our patients and their loved ones.”