DUDLEY'S health chiefs will meet this week to discuss a radical multi-million pound plan to change how primary care is delivered in the borough.

Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will discuss the final bid for a new Multispecialty Community Provider, MCP, at an extraordinary board meeting on July 12, closed to the public and press.

The contract, with the total annual value of £363m, will provide community based services for adults and children, some outpatient functions, mental health and learning disability, sexual health and substance treatment, the Urgent Care Centre and GP practices including GP out-of-hours care.

In addition, adult social care services presently provided by the local authority could be incorporated into the service in the future.

The borough is one of 14 vanguard areas in the country that has been chosen to pilot the new approach to primary care.

Paul Maubach, chief executive officer of Dudley CCG, who is launching the bidding process for the new scheme in April, said: “We are the first vanguard to launch the procurement for an MCP. This represents a significant and unique opportunity for potential partners.

“The MCP will bring together services to create an accountable care organisation that will be able to deliver better integrated services designed to improve the lives of Dudley people.

“Through enabling our staff to work more effectively together through a series of multi-disciplinary teams and a wider network of care, the MCP will support people in their own homes and communities to enhance individual independence and maximise their potential for improving their own health and wellbeing.”

The CCG has said the successful bidder will hold a contract of up to 15 years and will be accepted to transform and delivery community health and care services for primary care and meet a defined set of outcome and performance measures.