How will primary care groups work?(The New NHS: Commentaries on the White Paper - from Command Economy to Demand Management. (United Kingdom. National Health Service))

Delivery of the 10 year strategy for health set out in the white paper will depend to an important degree on the effectiveness of the new primary care groups in delivering local health improvement programmes, in partnership with health authorities. From April 1999, 500 new primary care groups, typically serving populations of 100 000, will replace nearly 4000 existing commissioning organisations, including general practice fundholders. They will be resourced out of A current fundholding allowances.

Primary care groups will involve all local general practitioners, along with community nurses. The white paper outlines four progressive forms of primary care group: giving advice to health authorities on commissioning; managing devolved budgets; independent …