THERE are fears that the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in South Essex could merge.

CCGs are in charge of commissioning GP and other primary care services across their areas.

Five CCGs - including Basildon and Brentwood, Castle Point and Rochford, Southend, Thurrock and Mid Essex - are proposing combining commissioning services as one unit.

It is thought the merger is aimed at saving money as the NHS attempts to make savings of £400million.

The Essex Success Regime is overseeing the campaign to save money in South Essex.

A similar plan had been proposed to merge the hospital services at Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals, including the hospitals sharing A&Es, before this was watered down after a consultation in which residents expressed their concerns about the plans.

A spokesman for the NHS disputed that this would be a full merger of the five CCGs, but said that some aspects of decision making would become joint.

The plans were unveiled at the Mid and South Essex CCG’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan Joint Committee meeting which took place on Friday.

The CCGs are planning to meet again on Friday to sign an agreement, the exact details of which have not been disclosed.

Members of the NHS campaign group Save Southend NHS attended the meeting and were concerned about the proposed merger.

The group - which successfully fought against the merger of hospital services proposed by NHS bosses - said it was concerned about the affect and legality of what is proposed.

Save Southend NHS has concerns that it will lead to services not being the best available for the specific area.

It claims not every area has the same issues and needs and so the CCGs sharing commissioning could lead to unsuitable provision in some areas.

A spokesperson for the group said: “We have serious concerns that what the Mid and South Essex CCGs STP Joint Committee are trying to do by entering into a binding agreement is not legal under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

“They are being forced into signing up to this by the Essex Success Regime in a bid to make cuts of over £400million to the NHS budget. Each CCG is duty-bound to decisions in the best interests of its population. Once the five CCGs sign up to this agreement they will be bound by a majority vote which may be detrimental to patient care.

“This is just part of the plan to cut health services in Essex by stealth, that the publicly unaccountable Essex Success Regime are trying to push through, with very likely no legal authority to do so. Having taken legal advice, seven CCGs in North East London overwhelmingly rejected a similar proposal there and we believe these plans should be halted in Essex until the legality of this proposal is properly investigated.

“We urge everyone to email the chair and the accountable officer of their CCG to let them know they’re unhappy with the plans.”