TY - JOUR T1 - <span hwp:id="article-title-1" class="article-title">GP commissioning: will it save money and raise standards of care?</span><span hwp:id="article-title-2" class="sub-article-title">THE CHALLENGE FACING THE NHS AND PRIMARY CARE</span><span hwp:id="article-title-4" class="sub-article-title">WHAT DOES PAST EXPERIENCE SUGGEST WILL HAPPEN?</span><span hwp:id="article-title-8" class="sub-article-title">THE PRIORITIES FOR THE CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUPS</span><span hwp:id="article-title-9" class="sub-article-title">HOW MIGHT ALL THIS AFFECT PATIENTS?</span><span hwp:id="article-title-10" class="sub-article-title">BEING MORE PRODUCTIVE: CUTTING COSTS AND IMPROVING QUALITY</span> JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 380 LP - 380 VL - 62 IS - 600 AU - David Nicholson AU - Martin Roland AU - John Hussey AU - Antony Chuter AU - John Appleby Y1 - 2012/07/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/62/600/380.abstract N2 - The controversial Health and Social Care Act, passed a few weeks ago, will trigger the most radical re-organisation of the NHS that we have ever experienced. With the abolition of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, and the creation of new bodies and governance arrangements, the responsibility for a budget of between £60-80 billion will pass to GP-led clinical commissioning groups, (CCGs) who will have the unenviable task of tackling variations in standards of care and reducing health inequalities while attempting to save as much as £20 billion over the next 5 years. We asked a number of experts and health service leaders to look into their crystal balls and say whether they think that these challenging aspirations can be achieved.THE CHALLENGE FACING THE NHS AND PRIMARY CARESir David NicholsonThe NHS needs to transform the way services are provided to patients and local people — both to meet the increasing healthcare needs and expectations of those it serves and to ensure it continues to drive real improvement in health outcomes in more constrained financial circumstances.Meeting the scale of these challenges will require all parts of the NHS to take bold measures to secure long-term, sustainable change. Giving frontline clinicians greater freedom and a strong leadership role is an essential element in meeting those challenges. CCGs can use their knowledge of patients' needs and of local services, as well as their standing in local communities, to change clinical practice in ways that improve the quality of care and make more effective use of resources. CCGs will be able to build on their excellent relationships with the public as well as their emerging partnerships with local authorities to lead a collective case for change, focused around the improvement of patient outcomes.Having a GP-led system of clinical commissioning will build on the strengths of general … ER -