Full story at DorsetEcho 30 April 2018
Dorset’s new healthcare structure has come under fire from campaigners who fear the change could open the door to far greater private sector involvement in the NHS.
The health authorities, however, insist this is not the case.
Dorset’s clinical commissioning group (CCG) adopted an Integrated Care System (ICS) structure on April 1 this year, bringing together health authorities and NHS trusts; according to NHS England, these new structures – of which Dorset’s is one of the first ten – will help different areas of health and social care to cooperate more closely, respond to individual needs and ‘help people stay out of hospital when they don’t need to be there’.
But Giovanna Lewis from pressure group Defend Dorset NHS told the Echo her group was worried about the implications of the transition on health provision contracts, though it welcomed the principle of integration.