A SPECIAL event gave patients and service users the chance to meet the new organisation that is being charged with the vital role of deciding local health spending.

From April 1, the South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will be responsible for deciding how £320 million of the local health budget should be spent for about 292,000 patients.

The groups are being introduced across the country as part of a major restructuring of the NHS and will be responsible for about £65bn of England's £95.6bn health budget.

The new groups are GP-led and the South Worcestershire CCG represents 32 GP surgeries from Worcester, Malvern, Droitwich, Evesham and Pershore.

On Wednesday patients, residents, councillors and representatives from community groups attended an official launch at St Richard’s Hospice, in Worcester, to meet the people in charge of the purse strings.

Dr Carl Ellson, chief clinical officer for South Worcestershire CCG, said the strong turnout reflected the “great level of interest in changes taking place in the health economy”.

“It was really great to see such a good attendance from a wide range of patients and representatives from local organisations,” he said. “Over the last year we have been working continuously to engage our local community in setting our priorities, and want to build upon the work we have already done to ensure we continue to place patients at the centre of everything we do.”

South Worcestershire CCG is now planning a series of public engagement events across the county to introduce itself to residents and discover exactly what their health priorities are.

For more information about South Worcestershire CCG, southworcestershireccg.nhs.uk.