Health care in Craven is to undergo a big shake-up following the go-ahead for six new primary care groups in North Yorkshire.

From next April, groups of local family doctors, their primary health care teams and community nurses - working with other health and social services professionals - will shoulder more responsibility for the health of their local populations.

The six Primary Care Groups will cover Craven, York, Selby, Harrogate; Scarborough, Ryedale & Whitby, and Hambleton & Richmondshire.

Although North Yorkshire Health Authority will continue to assess overall health needs and develop strategic plans for services across the county, the PCGs will take over the role of commissioning health care and developing primary care services, such as that of GPs, within available resources.

The PCG for Craven will succeed a commissioning group which advised the health authority on buying health-care services for Craven.

Its duties will be buying services and managing the health-care budget for people of the district.

Dr Julian Allen, of Dyneley House surgery in Skipton, who chaired the commissioning group, said that the change should bring improvements. "To some degree we have already got our own house in order, and this gives us the opportunity to tackle other wider ranging aspects of health care. It will be easier to organise drug and alcohol services, for example, and to ensure that the practices are pulling in the same direction."

Membership of the PCG is expected to include a representative from each GP practice, a community nurse, practice nurse, representatives from social services and the community health council.

"Social Services, the community health council and community representatives will have a higher profile than they have had before," said Dr Allen.

One of the first items for the PCG would be the provision of palliative care for cancer patients and increasing the use of nurse practitioners at GP practices.

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