The NHS organisation which commissions health services for South Cumbria has been rated as Good by NHS England.

Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been assessed against 58 areas covering performance, delivery, outcomes, finance and leadership.

CCGs commission the majority of hospital and community services for the communities they serve.

They came into operation in April 2013 and are led by local GPs and managers.

NHS England shares out more than £100 billion in funds each year, much of it to CCGs. It holds these organisations to account for spending this money effectively for patients and efficiently for the tax payer.

All CCGs are assessed annually and receive an overall assessment that places their performance in one of four categories: outstanding, good, requires improvement, or inadequate.

The Morecambe Bay CCG has been congratulated on its achievement of hitting 100 per cent against the extended access target for GP services, a reduction in the levels of smoking amongst expectant and new mums and its improved performance against its financial targets.

Jerry Hawker, the CCG’s chief officer, said: “The rating for 2018/19 is an improvement against our outcome for 2017/18 and a testament to the hard work of our staff and leadership team.

“While this is cause for celebration, there are still challenges to overcome and we continue to aim high to ensure the best possible services and outcomes for the population of Morecambe Bay.”

Dr Geoff Jolliffe, Barrow GP and Clinical Chair of the CCG said: “We are passionate about making sure our population has the best possible care and that they are supported by a health and care system that is recognised as being as good as it gets – which is illustrated in our Vision.

“I would encourage the population of Morecambe Bay to have their say and to get involved in shaping the care they receive. They can find out more about this by visiting the Morecambe Bay CCG website.”