DESPITE the fact that no formal merger has been confirmed, a new outside senior officer has been permanently allocated responsibility for Thurrock's Clinical Commissioning Group.

Health chiefs in the region have wanted to merge the Thurrock group, which is responsible for commissioning health care for borough residents, into a wider, Essex-wide organisation and the appointment of Anthony McKeever appears to be another move in that direction.

The move towards a wider group taking responsibility for Thurrock, proposed and supported by NHS England, has met with significant opposition in the borough.

Last year Thurrock council wrote to to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and to Thurrock MPs, raising serious concerns about the plans to merge Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with four other CCGs in South Essex.

The council criticised the plans, which it fears would lead to the loss of local accountability and strong existing partnerships.

Cllr Sue Little, chair of Thurrock Health and Well-being Board, led the opposition said: "We have a responsibility to make clear our outrage at this decision to take our voice away for the services commissioned for Thurrock residents.

"This is an affront to Thurrock and one that we must stand up to and make clear that we do not support."

Confirmation of Mr McKeever as Executive Lead for the Mid and Essex Health and Care Partnership and Joint Accountable Officer for its five CCGs is unlikely to please local critics of the proposed merger, though he had been acting in the role in an interim capacity.

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In May this year long-serving Mandy Ansell left the Thurrock CCG, which issued the following statement: "NHS Thurrock CCG remains a single statutory Clinical Commissioning Group and we continue to work with our partners across Mid and South Essex and with Thurrock Council and others in our local system. Having one single Accountable Officer fulfills one part of the NHS Long Term Plan goal, which is to have one Executive Lead for an ICS. This was approved by the CCG Board back in September 2019.

"The post of Accountable Officer is a statutory post filled by our new Interim Joint Accountable Officer, Anthony McKeever. Mark Tebbs has been appointed as the interim Deputy Accountable Officer for NHS Thurrock CCG."