HEALTH chiefs are spending £60,000 on management consultants to help them "understand" a massive reorganisation of the NHS.

NHS Oxfordshire said it needed the study as it had received no indication from the Government of how the shake-up would work.

The Government announced in July that GPs would in future take control of most of the NHS budget, instead of primary care trusts like NHS Oxfordshire.

It comes after county NHS bosses warned of widespread jobs cuts amid a squeeze on public spending, Mark Ladbrooke, spokesman for the Unison Health Oxfordshire union, said: “At the moment everything is in a mess.

“No-one knows what is going to happen or how it is going to work.”

Mr Ladbrooke added: “Most GPs aren’t qualified to do work such as accountancy, so what is likely to happen is they’ll either have to stop treating patients, or they’ll have to bring in private companies to do the work for them.” The Government this week defended its planned reforms following criticism by the British Medical Association, which represents doctors, and the Royal College of Nursing.

They warned the reforms were moving too quickly and could undermine the NHS, but the Government said it could slash management costs by putting doctors in charge.

As a result PCTs would be abolished, and GPs would set up consortiums to run the county health budget.

An NHS Oxfordshire spokes-man said: “The Government’s Health White Paper announced that the responsibility for NHS budgets and commissioning of local services will move from primary care trusts to local GP consortia.

“However, no model or framework for this transition or final structure for local consortia has yet been developed.

“As such the PCT is working with an organisation called New World to look at what operating models for GP commissioning might work for Oxfordshire in the future.”

The spokesman added: “As part of this New World are working with the local authority and GPs, as the responsibility for deciding future organisational form for consortia lies with local GPs.

“New World is working with us all to understand the major risks associated with a new model and how to mitigate those going forward to ensure a smooth transition to GP commissioning.

“They are also working with us to look at how we deliver our operation plans for 2011 and beyond for providing high-quality health care throughout Oxfordshire during the transition period.”

The Department of Health was unavailable for comment.