TWO health trusts serving patients at opposite ends of south Essex are to join forces in a bid to cut costs.

NHS South East Essex covering Southend, Rochford and Castle Point and NHS South West Essex covering Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood, Thurrock and Wickford are to work together in future under the leadership of a single chief executive.

The plan, proposed by the Essex Transition Board, is designed to reduce management costs and improve collaboration between the trusts on buying in services for patients from health providers such as hospitals.

It comes as Government plans get underway for new GP consortia, which by 2013 will see groups of GPs working closely together to manage their own budgets and services. Once these are up and running the PCTs will be abolished completely following, Parliamentary approval.

For the time being, the two trusts will remain as independent bodies under one chief executive.

Pam Court is no longer chief executive of the South West Essex PCT and Andrew Pike, chief executive of the South East Essex PCT is now also interim manager of the south west Essex trust.