THIS month marks a year since NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) took full responsibility for commissioning hospital, community and mental health services for local people.

The CCG's responsibilities include planning health services, based on assessing the needs of the local community, paying for services that meet the needs of patients and monitoring the quality of the services and care provided to patients.

Simon Hairsnape, chief officer for NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG said: “It’s been an extremely busy year for the CCG and the NHS as a whole. We’ve made some real progress in the past year and aim to build on this progress over the next 12 months.

“Our aim is to make sure that everyone can enjoy the same opportunities for good health. We also want to ensure that our local population has access to the very best health services, from an NHS which is fit to cope with future demands.”

Some of the achievements the CCG is celebrating include the launch of the ‘Now Have your Say’ membership scheme to enable people to get involved in local health services, a Virtual Ward which has helped to achieve a reduction in A&E attendances and emergency admissions at The Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, and the fact that the CCG has remained in financial balance over the year.