NHS body rated as inadequate

‘Unprecedented’ financial challenge says CCG

The organisation responsible for organising and purchasing NHS funded healthcare in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire has been given an overall rating of ‘inadequate’ by NHS England. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is rated as inadequate for both being ‘well led’ and for ‘finance.’

It requires improvement for both ‘performance’ and ‘planning’, but is good for ‘delegated functions’. Inadequate is the lowest possible rating.

NHS England is not releasing the reasons for its rating.

Shailesh Vara, MP f or North West Cambridgeshire, said: “Thisis simplyunacceptable. There have been very serious and hugely expensive failings andthepublicdeserve much better.

“I will be meeting the new chairman and will leave him in no doubt that we all expect animprovedratingin the very near future.”

Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson said: “The CCG is in a parlousstatewithpoorleadership, alackofproperplanning, and deteriorating finances.

“I believe that in order to safeguard patient care in Peterborough we need the best external expertise to turn the situation around in a timely fashion and that means urgent supportfromtheDepartment of Health, and via NHS England.”

Tracy Dowling, the CCG’s chief officer, said the current financial challenges are of an “unprecedented scale.”

She added: “The CCG has made many changes to the way it works over recent months and is working hard with staff and the governing body to deliver the quality improvements andfinancial rigour that we need, but there is still a lot more for us to do to addressourunderlyingrecurrent deficit.

“With our partners across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough health and care system we are developing our Sustainability and Transformation plan which has a focus on improving the clinical outcomesforourpatients, but also addressing our systemwide financial deficit over the next five years.”