Devolution in healthcare: What will change and when?

Greater Manchester will be given control of the region's £6bn NHS budget Credit: PA

Councils across Greater Manchester will be given full control of the region's £6 billion of healthcare funding under new plans revealed today.

The draft proposals, seen by the Health Service Journal, would see health budgets - currently Westminster-controlled - integrated with social care budgets, which are controlled by local councils, with the aim of improving patient care and ease of access.

This would be run by a new statutory body which could make decisions on everything from spending to management within primary care, community-based care, mental health services, social care, specialised services and public health campaigns - such as stop smoking aid, or action on obesity.

While they would need to work within the framework set by the NHS nationwide, the authority would be able to set region-specific goals and priorities according to what they see as the greatest local need.

Proposed timetable:

  • April 2015: Process of setting up governance of the scheme agreed and started.

  • Throughout 2015: Final version of the Greater Manchester strategic sustainability plan produced and agreed.

  • October 2015: Initial aspects of the business case agreed.

  • December 2015: Greater Manchester and NHS England approve details on the devolution of healthcare funds. Agreement from Clinical Commissioning Groups on how to integrate health and social care arrangements.

  • April 2016: Full devolution begins, including pooled budgets.

Local health boards would be able to make decisions on their own public health campaigns, such as stop smoking assistance Credit: PA

While many of the specifics still need to be ironed out, the draft document states that a Greater Manchester Strategic Health and Social Care Partnership Board will be set up to manage strategies and priorities, while a Joint Commissioning Board will buy in and monitor region-wide services.

A chief officer will also be selected to lead the programme, including appointing the necessary staff.

Meanwhile, local health and wellbeing boards will draw up their own plans for integrated health and social care within their districts, which will be submitted for approval by the partnership board to ensure consistency across the wider region.

NHS England, Clinical Commissioning Groups and district boards will pool their respective funds to the Joint Commissioning Board.

The plans would see health budgets - currently Westminster-controlled - integrated with social care budgets, which are controlled by local councils Credit: PA

The document builds on previous work to set up the region-wide Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the first of its kind in the UK which was established in 2011.

The GMCA eventually hopes to control all £22bn of taxpayers' cash pumped into the region by government by bringing together the 10 local councils.

It already has powers to coordinate parts of the economic plan, regeneration and transport, and will have a new Mayor at its figurehead who - among other jobs - will take on the role of Police and Crime Commissioner for the region.