Clinical senates will have a formal role in authorising the new commissioning groups and will advise the NHS Commissioning Board on whether their plans are ‘clinically robust'.
Existing clinical networks will also be given a ‘stronger role' in commissioning, while local authority health and wellbeing boards will also have an input into CCG decisions.
But NHS Alliance chair Dr Michael Dixon said: ‘Senates should be only advisory not authorising and we must ensure that the full voice of primary care commissioners is represented within them.'
