HEREFORDSHIRE Health Authority will be considering its own future this week.

But it is unlikely to come to any conclusions until later in November.

The Government is planning to cut the number of health authorities, wanting to place more emphasis on Primary Care Trusts.

The regional office of the NHS has confirmed that HHA will go and recommending that the county should become part of a new Health Authority for West Midlands South with Worcestershire, Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Government says that each of the new authorities should serve a population of about 1.5 million people and be broadly aligned with clinical networks.

Members of the board of HHA have been studying a document issued by the Department of Health which talks about modernising the NHS and shifting the balance of power in the West Midlands.

The whole issue was being discussed at a meeting of HHA this week with the Regional Office of the NHS seeking views on the specific proposal to establish a new Health Authority for the West Midlands South.

Similar consultations are going on all over the region and responses have to be submitted to the Regional Director of the NHS by November 30.

The health authority is expected to listen to views expressed by other local organisations before formulating its final response

Herefordshire already has a Primary Care Trust, responsible for most health care services in the county.

A new larger heath authority would not play a part in the day to day running of services in Herefordshire, being more involved in overall policy and ensuring it is implemented.