A first wave pathfinder CCG has taken the radical step of paying all its elected board members, the same hourly rate for attending meetings.
The policy adopted by Ealing CCG is aimed at recognising the equal contributions its members make and encouraging members of less well-remunerated professions to get involved.
The CCG which covers 82-practices and 360,000 patients includes GP non-principal, nurse and practice manager representatives on its executive board as well as GPs, local authority and public health members who sit alongside the borough director and finance director.
All non-PCT members of the board are paid a rate based on the BMA-agreed rate of around £80 an hour which allows everyone to pay for their own ‘backfill' for meetings that take place in working hours.
The approach contrasts with orthodox policy - in place since primary care groups were formed in 1999 - where board members receive widely varying amounts reflecting their day jobs rather than their roles on the board.
Professor Ursula Gallagher, nurses in commissioning lead for the NHS Alliance said: ‘Being on a CCG board is an important role irrespective of what your background is.'
Professor Gallagher, professor in primary care leadership at Buckinghamshire New University added: ‘One of the key benefits is the strong message the CCG is sending out about the inclusive and transparent nature of the board.'
