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

From April, groups of local family doctors, their primary health care teams and community nurses - working in co-operation with other health and social care professionals - will take on increasing responsibility for the health of the local population.

The six Primary Care Groups (PCGs) will cover Craven, York, Selby, Harrogate, Scarborough, Ryedale and Whitby, and Hambleton and Richmondshire.

Although North Yorkshire Health Authority will continue to assess overall health needs and develop strategic plans for services across the county, the new PCGs will take over the role of commissioning health care for local people and developing local primary care services (ie GP services) within available resources.

The new PCG for Craven will be born out of the commissioning group which was established last year.

Its chairman, Dr Julian Allen, of Dyneley House surgery in Skipton, explained that the commissioning group was established to advise the health authority on purchasing health care services for Craven.

However, the new primary care group will be responsible both for purchasing health care and managing the health care budget for residents of the district.

"If it is adequately funded, it will mean an improvement," said Dr Allen. "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 working together in agreeing to pull in the same direction."

While membership of the PCG is not yet decided, it is expected to include a representative from each GP practice, a community nurse, practice nurse, representatives from social services and the community health council.

"This will give a formal opportunity for many people to have a significant input into the health care of Craven," continued Dr Allen.

Dr Allen does have "mixed feelings" about the new PCG however, and he warned: "Even the best organisation will fail if it is inadequately funded."

Dr Allen told the Herald that among the first things the group would be looking at would be the provision of palliative care for cancer patients and increasing the usage of nurse practitioners at GP practices.

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