Who is it? The consortia will be groups made up of local GPs. The exact nature of future consortia is not yet clear, though there aremany pathfinder groups that have already been formed across the country.

  What does it do? Holding most of the NHS budget, GP consortia will commission services to meet needs in their local area. They have a duty to act to secure “continuous improvement in the quality of services” in terms of service effectiveness, safety and the quality of patients’ experience. They must consult the people they are providing services for, pay providers, and publish both an annual plan and an annual report of activities.

How does it influence community pharmacy? The GP consortia will have arguably the most direct influence on community pharmacy of all of the constituent bodies in the NHS. They will replace the PCTs’ local commissioning role and decide which providers will be paid to deliver local services.

What you need to know: As the consortia take on the role of the PCTs, a large amount of pharmacy funding will be dependent on services commissioned by the consortia. Pharmacy leaders have stressed the need for the sector at all levels to engage with the consortia as they form and prepare to take over commissioning responsibilities.