The NHS Headquarters in the South West
Consultation Documents
Torbay Care Trust Website coverage
The shape of the NHS in England is changing.
Under these changes, it will no longer be possible for an NHS organisation to be responsible for both commissioning (buying) and providing healthcare services beyond April ’12.
As a result, Torbay Care Trust is preparing to undertake a series of steps to ensure it remains legally constituted after April ’13.
The Trust must separate its commissioning and provider responsibilities into two separate organisations to ensure that NHS care is provided in the most efficient and effective way for local populations.
Commissioning responsibilities will initially be led by a Torbay element of the local commissioning cluster, working alongside commissioners in Plymouth and wider- Devon. Latterly, it is proposed that these duties will be assumed by a GP-led Clinical Commissioning Group.
It will then be necessary for the remaining provider, Torbay Care Trust, to change its constitution to become an NHS trust. This is a required legislative change and will also enable the Care Trust to explore other opportunities for the future, such as becoming a NHS Foundation Trust.
While this change will not make any difference to the way in which health and social care is provided – services will remain integrated – it is still important that we engage with local stakeholders to ensure they understand this change and have the opportunity to comment upon it.
Please send any comments to mark.woodcock@southwest.nhs.uk or by post to NHS South of England, South West House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton. TA1 2PX by Noon on Friday 6 January 2012.
