From October 31 this year, the NHS Commissioning Board, NCB, went into operation in shadow form.

Over the next year, the board will operate as a special health authority and presently it is being headed by NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson and chaired by Professor Malcolm Grant, a barrister and academic lawyer.

The task for this board will be to agree the method for establishing and authorising GP-led clinical commissioning groups, CCGs, and it will be working with the Department of Health.

From October next year, the NHS Commissioning Board will be operating successfully as an independent body and for this also it will be providing resources that will be allowing this. Though, this will entirely depend upon the successful passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through parliament.

Nicholson said, "Building this new system over the next two years, while delivering for our patients, increasing productivity and improving the quality of care, is a major challenge."

He added that whatever is being tried to be achieved will be achieved as the system will be more coherent and innovative.