<P> Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are NHS organisations set up by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to organise the delivery of NHS services in England . 211 groups were established in 2013 and there was resistance to any proposals for mergers between groups although Gateshead CCG, Newcastle North & East CCG and Newcastle West CCG merged in 1 April 2015 . During 2016 it appeared that further mergers would be permitted and an official procedure was published in November 2016 by NHS England . During 2017 further proposals for merger appeared . 83 CCGs were sharing chief officers in March 2017, which may be a precursor to merger . If all those led to merger there would be 174 groups . </P> <P> To a certain extent they replace primary care trusts (PCTs), though some of the staff and responsibilities moved to Local Authority Public Health teams when PCTs ceased to exist in April 2013 . Services directly provided by PCTs were reorganised through the Transforming Community Services programme . </P>

How many ccg's are there in england