The warning comes after Sir Nigel Crisp, the chief executive of the NHS,announced that GP-based commissioning would be introduced throughoutEngland by the end of 2006, two years earlier than planned.
The announcement was made alongside the unveiling of a shake-up ofprimary care trusts that will see them lose their role as employers,with foundation trusts and children's trusts mooted to take over therole (Children Now, 3-16 August).
As part of the shake-up, primary care trusts must devolve somecommissioning to practices or groups of practices, and delegate budgetsto them to cover acute, community and emergency care, though they willcontinue to manage contracts.
David Hawker, director of children's services at Brighton & Hove CityCouncil, said a lot of work would need to be done to persuade GPs tocommission services in partnership with children's services.
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