TWO GPs have been elected to represent their parts of the county to help improve patient care on the board of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

Dr Ed Capo-Bianco, a partner at Goring and Woodcote Medical Practice, takes over from Dr Andrew Burnett representing the South East of Oxfordshire.

He said: “I’d like to thank Andrew for his hard work and dedication in the post. I look forward to carrying on his excellent work in commissioning high-quality health care for patients, working alongside committed GPs, health staff and commissioners.

“I’ll be listening carefully to the views of local patients in shaping the sort of high quality health services they require in the years to come.”

Meanwhile Dr Jonathan Crawshaw of Berinsfield Health Centre will represent the South West of the county, stepping into the shoes of Dr Julie Anderson, who served for the past three years.

He said: “Everyone in the locality thanks Julie for her tireless work and commitment in delivering high quality health care for patients.

“I’m determined to carry on where Julie left off, commissioning the very best services for local people with the support of my colleagues and by engaging with local people.”

Primary care in Oxfordshire is divided up into six ‘localities’, which are represented by GPs who meet on a regular basis to discuss progress on their priorities for healthcare on the patch.

They are led by a clinical director and supported by a deputy and commissioning staff, who are elected by local GPs and sit on the CCG board.

Earlier this year sweeping plans to make primary care in Oxfordshire more efficient were published by the CCG, encouraging GPs are being urged to combine their resources and form ‘super-practices’ with up to 20,000 patients.