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| Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group | |
|---|---|
| Name | Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group |
| Formation | 2012 |
| Type | NHS clinical commissioning group |
| Headquarters | Lancaster, Lancashire |
| Region served | Lancashire and Cumbria |
| Leader title | Chair |
| Leader name | Professor Madeleine Clarke |
Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group was an NHS clinical commissioning group established in 2012 to commission healthcare services for populations across Lancashire and Cumbria, interacting with institutions such as NHS England, NHS Foundation Trust, Care Quality Commission, Lancashire County Council and Cumbria County Council. It worked alongside acute providers including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Lancaster Royal Infirmary, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Westmorland General Hospital and primary care networks including local general practices, engaging with bodies like Clinical Commissioning Group peers, NHS Improvement, British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners and Health and Social Care Act 2012. The organisation’s remit included commissioning services across urban and rural areas such as Lancaster, Morecambe, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal, and Ulverston, coordinating with ambulance services like North West Ambulance Service and specialist providers such as Royal Preston Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary and tertiary centres in Manchester and Leeds General Infirmary.
Formed after reforms introduced by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the CCG succeeded primary care trusts and inherited commissioning responsibilities from organisations like NHS North West and NHS Cumbria. Its governance and strategic direction were shaped by national policy from Department of Health and Social Care, oversight by NHS England and inspection regimes of the Care Quality Commission, while it sought to deliver local service redesigns linked to regional plans such as the Lancashire and South Cumbria Sustainability and Transformation Plan, interacting with trusts including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and partnerships such as Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System. Early years saw alignment with initiatives launched by Monitor (NHS) and engagement with professional bodies such as the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Nursing to address service configuration across sites including Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital.
The CCG’s board comprised clinicians, lay members and executives drawn from constituencies represented by GPs, commissioning leads, and chairs with links to organisations like British Medical Association, NHS Confederation, and local authorities including Lancaster City Council. Corporate governance adhered to frameworks issued by NHS England and NHS Improvement, with accountability routes involving the Public Accounts Committee, local health scrutiny committees in Lancashire County Council and Cumbria County Council and regulatory interaction with the Care Quality Commission. Commissioning committees worked with procurement teams and legal advisers referencing statutes such as the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and collaborated with regional bodies like the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System and neighbouring CCGs including Blackpool CCG and Cumbria CCG.
Commissioning portfolios covered acute hospital care delivered by providers such as University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, community services from organisations like Morecambe Bay Community Health Services and mental health services provided by trusts akin to Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust or Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. The CCG commissioned primary care services across GP federations, urgent care provision linked to NHS 111, ambulance services from North West Ambulance Service, specialised commissioning that interfaced with NHS England Specialized Services and elective pathways referring patients to tertiary centres such as Royal Preston Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary. It also contracted with hospices, independent sector providers and community pharmacies represented by bodies like the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.
Performance reporting used national metrics stipulated by NHS England and audit frameworks overseen by NHS Improvement and the National Audit Office. The CCG’s commissioning outcomes were assessed through inspections by the Care Quality Commission of providers including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and by local clinical audit processes involving the Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of General Practitioners, and Royal College of Nursing. Financial stewardship was subject to audit by external auditors appointed under rules influenced by the Public Accounts Committee and compliance with guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care and Her Majesty’s Treasury.
The CCG’s commissioning decisions and local service configurations attracted scrutiny alongside high-profile inquiries into care at local trusts such as the Morecambe Bay NHS trust inquiry and investigations that involved national bodies including Care Quality Commission, NHS England and parliamentary scrutiny via the Public Accounts Committee and select committees. Reports by independent investigators and professional regulators such as the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council influenced public debate, with media coverage from outlets like the BBC and The Guardian prompting reviews of governance, procurement and clinical assurance processes involving partner organisations including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and local authorities.
In line with national moves toward integrated care systems, the CCG entered merger and succession arrangements with neighbouring commissioning bodies including Blackpool CCG, Fylde and Wyre CCG and Cumbria CCG leading into organisational change under the Health and Care Act 2022 and integration with the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System. Transition planning involved handover of functions to successor organisations modelled on Integrated Care System arrangements, with continued commissioning relationships with trusts such as University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and regional partners in NHS England.
The CCG implemented patient and public involvement strategies conforming to statutory duties reflected in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, collaborating with voluntary organisations like Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Mind and local patient participation groups linked to GP practices. Community health initiatives were developed with partners such as Lancashire County Council, Cumbria County Council, Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch branches to address priorities including urgent care access, maternity services, long-term conditions pathways and mental health support, coordinating with charities and third sector organisations such as British Heart Foundation, Stroke Association and Diabetes UK to implement prevention and self-management programmes.
Category:NHS organisations in England