HEALTH commissioners in Wiltshire, Swindon and BaNES will merge to become one single clinical commissioning group as soon as April 2020.

The combined CCGs will control a £1.1bn budget for nearly one million people living in Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

Leaders say working as one group will give them greater buying power and reduce postcode lotteries over care services.

However it could also lead to duplicate administrative jobs being cut with fewer workers needed. Cash saved by eliminating jobs will be invested into frontline services, commissioners said.

GP practises took a vote over summer and the majority supported the merger move.

Dr Ian Orpen, chair of the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Board, said: “CCGs up and down the country have either already merged or are beginning plans to merge to help better meet the needs of their local populations.

“I believe that as a single CCG, we will be in a stronger position to improve outcomes for patients, whilst still retaining our local voice.”

Research by the NHS into what improvements people from across Swindon, Wiltshire and BaNES want to see from health services was recently carried out, with 1600 people taking part.

Younger people want improved access to mental health services but for those aged 75-84, feeling heard and listened to by health and care professionals was a common issue they raised in their survey responses.

Respondents said they wished their health conditions had been diagnosed earlier. Some people reported experiencing very long delays in the diagnosis of their long term conditions, and some paid privately to get a quicker diagnosis and improved access to treatment.

The results showed that people need improved access to primary and secondary care, a better use of technology in health and care services and the difference lifestyle choices can have on people’s health.

Officers from Our Health, Our Future who carried out the research added: “People focussed on these issues as well as the importance of feeling heard, and listened to, by health and care professionals, and improving care and support for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.”