The Council of Members is made up from the 30 practices who each signed a mandate detailing who would be attending from within their practice. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Council of Members are both GPs and were selected through a voting process.

The group’s responsibilities are as follows:

• Decide the constitution of the CCG organisation as it effects its member practices
• Agree the inter-practice agreement that has to be signed by all members
• Consider and support the organisations strategic direction and key objectives, prior to approval by the CCG board
• Approve proposed service strategies and significant service or contract changes, prior to consideration by the CCG board and/or contracts being placed
• Advise on issues relating to clinical governance and service standards
• Decide what the priorities for contract negotiations and quality payments should be
• Approve saving plans from improvements in Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QiPP) and from the sustainable services programme, and agree action to be taken by the CCG/practice members to address problems with delivery
• Agree key decisions for developing the annual business plan/local implementation plan, prior to approval by the CCG board
• Hold member practices to account for their commissioning performance and compliance with the inter practice agreement

Some CCG officers attend to support the work of the group, and other people may attend if the members wish them to do so - but they cannot vote. At present, members have decided to invite a representative from each of our main service providers to attend. The only voting members of the group are the practice representatives and any representatives from Adult Social Care.

The CCG builds on a long history of GPs and adult social care professionals being involved and leading the commissioning and planning of health and social care services.

Service and patient quality has been the prime motivation for those clinicians getting involved and will increasingly bring about a change in focus in how the CCG operates and works with partner organisations. The role of the Council of Members is being extended from April 2012 and will include specific responsibilities relating to clinical and quality standards across H&SC.