West and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Commissioning Support Unit has merged with North Yorkshire and Humber CSU.
The two are the latest of a series of CSUs to merge, and plan to create a £90m NHS business.
West and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw previously consisted of two separate CSUs, but merged in March last year, ahead of the April 2013 shake-up of the NHS.
The merger with yet another organisation, means the new Yorkshire and Humber CSU will provide commissioning and business support for 23 clinical commissioning groups and 80 other customers.
Maddy Ruff, which will be the managing director of the CSU, said it is “one of the largest and most vibrant commissioning support service suppliers” in the country.
This move allies us with the Yorkshire and Humber region, an area which has a long-established global reputation for innovation,” she said.
“Our vision as a merged organisation is to deliver truly transformational change and we are well-placed, both geographically and economically, to do this.
“By combining our strengths we’re able to offer our customers a wider choice of services and skills, from a broader pool of expert staff from across our region.”
The move means there is now effectively nine CSU “alliances”, based on a mix of partnerships and mergers.
These are: Central Midlands CSU and Staffordshire and Lancashire CSU; NHS Greater Manchester CSU and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside CSU; and Central Midlands CSU and Staffordshire and Lancashire CSU, which have all merged, or are planning to do so.
Other CSUs are working in partnership but are not looking to merge. These are: South CSU and South West CSU; Greater East Midlands CSU and Arden CSU; and Kent and Medway CSU, South London CSU and parts of North West London CSU.
Central Southern CSU, North of England CSU North and East London CSU, which earlier this year took over commissioning support from Anglia CSU, will all remain independent.
All nine alliances have reached the final state of assessment for NHS England’s lead provider framework, which will allow CCGs to purchase services on a ‘call-off’ basis.
To find out more about how CSUs are finding their feet, read EHI's Insight piece 'Units of value'.