A group of GP practices is to take over its local community health services in a ground-breaking deal in east London, it has been announced.

Some 37 practices own the Tower Hamlets GP Care Group Community Interest Company.

It has won the contract to run community health services from the local clinical commissioning group.

It will take over the contract from Barts Health Trust but will sub-contract some of the services, including paediatrics, back to Barts.

The GP Care Group will then use the East London Foundation Trust to run adult community services.

The community interest company will provide out of hours primary care directly and set up a “single point of contact” for services outside hospital in Tower Hamlets.

Its chair Dr Phil Bennett-Richards said: “We will be introducing a new single point of access for all community health services, so we can maximise the potential for care across services to be organised more coherently.

“This will make sure people get the right care at the right time, and have just one assessment instead of having to repeat information and tests every time you see a GP, an occupational therapist or a chiropodist, for example.

“Over the coming years the services will be continually developed in partnership with the Tower Hamlets community.

“A Stakeholder Council, made up of local patients, carers, voluntary and community groups, will work alongside the community health services board, helping to formulate the direction of the services and monitor progress on an ongoing basis.”

CCG chief officer Jane Milligan said: “Back in 2014 people in Tower Hamlets told us that community health services needed to improve. They wanted high quality health care close to home when they needed it, but many of the existing services were inconsistent.

“This procurement has been carried out using an outcomes-based approach, which means the GP Care Group will be paid for delivering results that benefit individual patients, the wellbeing of the Tower Hamlets population and the local health system.

“This is a best practice method of commissioning that will help to reduce red tape and result in services that really work.”