INFLUENTIAL Birkenhead MP Frank Field has called for two Wirral health chiefs to “step aside” while the organisation is rebuilt following a critical review into its leadership and performance.

The “Capability and Governance Review” came after Mr Field wrote to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt criticising the relationship between “senior members” of Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) NHS Foundation Trust and called for an inquiry into the matter.

Mr Field questioned the “strong bond” between the two organisations and claimed relationships between the two may have dented the “independence” and “integrity” of local health services.

Chairman Dr Phil Jennings and the chief clinical officer of Wirral CCG, Dr Abhi Mantgani, voluntarily moved aside while NHS England conducted a probe into the authority, which is responsible for commissioning local NHS services for patients.

As well as calling for a review of the CCG’s decision making process, Mr Field also asked for the inquiry to look at “the status of the chair and his eligibility to hold this post”.

He said he was concerned that decisions may have been taken “that do not reflect the will of all its members or the public”.

NHS England has now completed its probe and the report, published this week, highlights how Wirral CCG had built in from the beginning a “bias against success”.

The report calls for a new constitution which knits together the three GP consortia of Wirral in their representation in the CCG, so that it can deliver an even better and more effective service for patients.

The probe states that the CCG “has been working within, and increasingly not coping with, a set of arrangements which are not fit for purpose”.

It found that the governing body has “not had adequate organisational development” as a whole, or as individuals to enable it to fully discharge its responsibilities.

It adds: “The governing body, under the leadership of the chair is largely aware of the need to develop the CCG but has not shown the necessary capability to assure the development of the CCG to discharge its functions.”

The report also recommends the CCG looks more closely at its delivery of A&E and urgent care, after its performance against the four hour A&E standard deteriorated in the fourth quarter of 2013/14, which have since remained well below standard.

Following the review, Mr Field said: “This vindicates the move I made calling for an inquiry which shows the huge handicap under which our CCG has been operating since the word go.

“I welcome the root and branch reform the report advocates.

“When I asked the Secretary of State for Health, and NHS England, to initiate an inquiry into Wirral CCG I asked that the chair and the chief clinical officer of the CCG should temporarily stand aside.

“The CCG now has to be rebuilt and I again call on the chair and the chief clinical officer to stand aside while a new constitution is made for the governance of a body which spends a crucial part of Wirral’s health budget.”

The review also found that the “capability and governance issues” in Wirral CCG is linked to why it failed to “get ahead of the challenges it now faces”.

NHS England calls on the CCG to improve its leadership as well as reviewing the working relationship with stakeholders at WUTH at senior leadership, operational and clinician-to-clinician level.

A joint statement from NHS England and Wirral CCG said that the organisation has already made “good progress” in improving standards, with a more detailed action plan currently being developed.

NHS England’s regional operations director in the north, John Devling – who stepped in as interim accountable officer for the commissioning group during the review – will remain in place to oversee the action plan.

NHS England, Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral Area Team, and Wirral CCG said: ““The review makes a number of recommendations which focus on the development of a new constitution and improving the effectiveness of the CCG as a commissioner of health care for the people of Wirral.

“Wirral CCG welcomes the publication of NHS England’s Report and accepts the recommendations therein.

“The CCG continues to work closely with patients, carers and the public to continuously improve health services and reduce health inequalities across the Wirral.

“The CCG has already made good progress in many of the areas covered by the recommendations and NHS England has recognised this.”

“A more detailed action plan is being developed so as to consolidate this work.”