A Barkingside GP has been formally selected as the head of the new Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The body was created earlier this month to replace primary care trust North East London and the City under government health reforms.

Chaired by Dr Anil Mehta, who is a partner at Fullwell Cross Medical Centre, in Tomswood Hill, the board of nine GPs nurses, NHS managers, practice managers and consultants will take over many of the former trust’s responsibilities.

With an budget of £292million this year, it will control the buying of healthcare services, from cancer care and mental health to hospital operations and prescriptions.

Dr Mehta called the position a “great privilege”.

He said: “Putting GPs in charge of local services provides a real opportunity to drive improvements and the CCG will focus relentlessly on improving quality of care.

“Working in partnership with the local authority and wider public I am very optimistic for the future as we seek to drive up standards further.”

Every GP in each of the borough’s 46 practices has been required to sign up to the group.