Health and social care services in Dudley will receive a boost after receiving £4.38 million from the national NHS transformation fund.

The cash has been awarded to Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group and the 'All Together Better Partnership' as part of the national 'vanguard' programme, which has seen organisations across the borough working together to develop and implement new ways of working to improve services for the future.

As part of the programme, Dudley CCG already received initial funding of £2.72 million in March 2015 and £4.4 million in May 2016 to enable the development of a Multi-specialty Community Provider. The aim is to improve the access, continuity and coordination of care through the integration of services. Paul Maubach, CEO of Dudley CCG, said:

“We are delighted to have received this latest funding. We really value the continued national support we receive as a vanguard in developing an MCP.

“This money will ensure that we continue to improve the local health and care system to benefit the people we serve in Dudley.”

The latest funding boost will cover the year 2017/18. Samantha Jones, director of the New Care Models Programme, said:

“The vanguards are making great progress and have already made a tangible impact on the lives of patients and the working lives of staff.

“2017/18 is a crucial year for the vanguards, in particular how we further spread their work across the wider NHS and care services.

“This funding, as well as the support we offer to them, will help them to continue to move at pace.”