THE doctor elected by Oxfordshire GPs to lead the controversial shake-up of the local NHS has vowed the changes will not be as drastic as feared.

Dr Stephen Richards was the only GP to allow his name to go forward for an election to lead the county through the biggest NHS reform for decades.

The Goring GP discounted suggestions he would be overseeing the end of the NHS in Oxfordshire, as critics of the reorganisation have claimed.

But he said work was needed to give health workers and the public a clearer understanding of how the new-look local NHS would work when the county’s primary care trust is replaced by a GPs’ consortium.

The Government has temporarily paused pushing through the plans, under which GPs would take over buying in patient care from 2013, overseen by a new commissioning board.

Dr Richards said: “I think the focus needs to be on providing quality and value for money. I don’t think the changes will be as drastic as some of my colleagues fear.

“Between now and April 2013 we will work with the PCT to develop a strong and capable organisation.

“I do not underestimate the challenges the NHS faces.”

The Oxfordshire GP Consortium was named in January as one of the Pathfinder schemes, charged with testing GP commissioning.

He had no doubts about the benefit of doctors being involved in key decision making: “There is general agreement that getting more clinical leadership in the health service is a good thing. But people should remember doctors will not be doing all this on their own. For two years we will have the benefit of working with PCT managers.”

Seventy-one of the county’s 83 practices voted in the election to find the doctor to take charge of creating a reformed NHS in Oxfordshire. Some 94 per cent voted for Dr Richards to lead the new consortium.

The election of the consortium leader was open to GPs from across the county. Candidates were to have been reviewed by a panel, including the chief executive of NHS Oxfordshire, which was expected to produce a shortlist of candidates.

Dr Richards said he believed local GPs had shown their confidence in his experience by letting him be elected unopposed.

He will now continue working on a part-time basis in the Goring and Woodcote practice, where he is a partners.

The 54-year-old was born and brought up in Oxford, before undertaking his medical training at Cambridge and then St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He spent 18 months working in a large hospital in South Africa.

NHS Oxfordshire chief executive Sonia Mills said: “Stephen has first-hand experience of commissioning and understands we are facing a challenging time ahead in order to meet the demand for services within tightening budgets.”

Ken Williamson, co-chairman of the Oxfordshire Keep Our NHS Public campaign, said: “I think there was a great reluctance amongst GPs, already working very hard with the job they do, and who do not see themselves as having the right skills or training, to go with this.

“But the new consortium will be unaccountable.”

  • Six new health areas are being created within Oxfordshire, each electing representatives to the board of the Oxfordshire PCT consortium. Successful candidates in the Local Lead elections were: Oxford City; Drs Peter Von Eichstorff and Joe McManners; South East, Dr Andrew Burnett; North, Dr Mary Keenan; North East, Dr John Galuszka; West Oxfordshire, Dr Joe Santos; South West, Dr Gavin Bartholomew.