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CCG leaders ‘should be re-elected’ says GPC

The GPC has called for the re-election of commissioning leaders before next April and the adoption of a new ‘fair commissioning' charter, in order to counter fears grassroots GPs are being excluded.

GPC chair Dr Laurence Buckman said the measures, which were endorsed at yesterday's GPC meeting, were being tabled in response to the ‘almost wilful' actions of some CCGs to exclude GPs from shaping how new organisations are set up.

The GPC has urged CCGs to adhere to a Fair Commissioning Charter that it is drawing up to ensure that boards commit to involve LMCs in decision making, hold democratic elections and act with transparency.

The GPC passed a motion encouraging CCGs to sign up to the charter when establishing their constitutions, and that it should include developing a culture of genuine clinician-led commissioning, not engaging in any contracts or negotiations which impose conditions of commercial confidentiality, and resisting any qualified provider being imposed on CCGs.

Dr Buckman said that although a number of shadow organisations had held elections during the pathfinder phase, the people that helped establish the organisations were not necessarily best equipped to lead the new CCGs from April 2013.

Dr Buckman said: ‘There seems to be an almost wilful—to exclude the democratic representatives of general practice, to ignore what they have to say.'

‘We are going to draw up a checklist with regards to the constitution, and we don't think GPs should support a [CCG] constitution that doesn't fulfil a checklist.

‘It's also important to notice that there should be another election. Because the election that elected shadow boards now of course doesn't stand.'

‘Those shadow boards don't automatically become the board of a CCG. What was a pathfinder and the people that were good at getting things going may not necessarily be the people that are good at getting things going in the new world.'