Meet the doctors taking charge of Redditch's healthcare

Buy photos » Meet the Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG team - Dr Catherine McGregor, Dr Edward Barrett, assistant clinical chair Dr Richard Davies, chief finance officer Mary Walters, lead practice manager Linda Pratt, executive nurse Jo Galloway, chief officer Simon Hairsnape, CCG chair and clinical lead Dr Jonathan Wells and PPI Forum chair Judy Adams. Picture by Ian Dipple. (s)

REDUCING heart attacks, strokes and teenage pregnancies are among the priorities for doctors in Redditch and Bromsgrove as they prepare to take control of health services in the two towns.

Dr Jonathan Wells, head of the new Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group, said their focus would be to ensure patients got 'the right care, in the right place at the right time'.

The group will officially takeover responsibility for buying health services from NHS Worcestershire in April next year as part of government reforms, but has been involved in commissioning since 2006 and more particularly since last year.

It is made-up of GPs from 22 practices across Redditch and Bromsgrove and has its own governing board which will meet in public and an experienced management team to support their work, which is also being shared with Wyre Forest CCG to cut costs.

It will be responsible for a budget of £182million and other key aims include improving primary care, developing mental health services and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Dr Wells added getting the best outcome for the people of Redditch and Bromsgrove regarding the future of the Alexandra Hospital was also important but was not the only challenge which had to be met.

"The Joint Services Review is not the be all and end all and we do have a lot of work to do, to make sure our community services are not forgotten and are as high quality as possible," he told a meeting at Redditch Town Hall on Wednesday (December 12) to introduce the CCG to the public.

The group has also committed to involving the public in its decision-making and the Patient and Public Involvement Forum is setting-up a scheme called Now Have Your Say (NHS), which residents can join to either just receive information, feedback on services or play a more active role such as becoming a health champion.

Judy Adams, chair of the PPI Forum, added: "This is a journey and there's quite a way we have to go with it and there's lots of things that will affect the road we have to travel and some things patients and the public will not always be able to change, but we will be able to influence."

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