THE Government has approved the application from the South Hams and West Devon Primary Care Group to become a free standing Primary Care Trust, which will take over the running of a number of hospitals including Tavistock Community Hospital, from October 1.
Ms Gisela Stuart, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, will shortly appoint a chairman of the trust who will either live in the Primary Care Trust area or be registered with a GP in the area, together with five other lay board members.
The trust, which forms part of the new NHS, will buy hospital services on behalf of the patients of the 18 general practices in the South Hams and West Devon Primary Care Trust area.
It aims to provide a more unified service with greater partnership working between the various agencies that contribute to the health of the population.
The proposal to form the new trust followed a three-month consultation programme. It was supported in a ballot of local GPs by 76 per cent of those who voted. There was a 91 per cent turnout of eligible GPs.