Work is under way to hand control of most of Bury’s NHS budget to GPs.

NHS Bury, the primary care trust (PCT) which oversees local health services, is being scrapped in 2013, along with all other PCTs.

They will be replaced with groups of GPs — consortia — who will commission services. They will decide what is needed, arrange it with NHS, private or third-sector organisations and pay for it.

NHS Bury has a budget of more than £300 million, including its community services, which will move under the management of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

The PCT has now appointed four GPs to lead the town’s consortia.

Dr Kiran Patel, of Greenmount Medical Centre, will take a leading role, supported part time by Dr Wiz El Jouzi, at Tottington Medical Centre, Dr Audrey Gibson from Minden Medical Centre and Dr Peter Thomas from Redbank Medical Centre. All the doctors will continue to practise.

Dr Patel said: “I think I speak on behalf of all the GPs appointed, the opportunity for GPs to be so closely involved in shaping services is an exciting one. We will be seeking patients’ views and working closely with clinicians and professionals to ensure that the developing consortia has the local knowledge and expertise required to enable us to achieve the best possible health gains for Bury people.”

Work will continue to develop Bury’s GP Commissioning Consortia, which will take over commissioning in April 2013.

Most of NHS Bury’s 800 employees are moving under the management of the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, as community services, like district nurses and health visitors, become the responsibility of the hospital trust.

The future for around 240 staff remains uncertain.