THE NHS Gloucestershire Board’s plans for community based healthcare, through the creation of a social enterprise, have been endorsed by the Strategic Health Authority (NHS South West).

The new organisation – Gloucestershire Care Services Community Interest Company – is likely to commence activities on October 1.

Social enterprises have been working effectively in our communities across Britain for many decades.

Today, there are over 62,000 , all with similar characteristics, including having a principle focus on their social (or environmental) purpose.

They also reinvest all surpluses into the community and, crucially, are inclusive of all stakeholder interests, including patients and professionals.

The new social enterprise will be one of the largest in the country, providing around 20 different services involving the running of nine hospitals, care in the community, district nursing, specialist services and much, much more. One of the main advantages of this new structure will be the meaningful involvement of local people in decision making.

All services will remain ‘free at the point of delivery’ and will be funded, as always, by general taxation.

NHS values will be at the heart of the enterprise and this will be strengthened by the commissioning process, regulated and monitored by NHS national contracts guidance.

Hospitals will, of course, remain part of the NHS estate.

The creation of a social enterprise is an exciting process bringing, as it does, huge opportunities for staff and service user involvement in shaping services, innovation in provision of new technologies and extending the scope of community based care.

This is local empowerment where it really matters.

Finally, it should be noted that the last Labour Government planned to cut expenditure in the NHS if it had been re-elected. The Coalition Government, on the other hand, has already increased expenditure and is committed to delivering a service free at the point of delivery financed by general taxation. If you wish to contact Neil about this or any other issue, phone 01453 751572, email neil.carmichael.mp@parliament.uk, or visit his website www.neilcarmichael.co.uk.