A VALE woman is heading up a taskforce that is overseeing the biggest shake-up of care services to take place in Worcestershire.

Jacqui Cravos, chairman of Worcestershire Health Authority, is also chairing the Health and Social Care Task Group managing the services' reorganisation.

The task group has been set up jointly by Worcestershire County Council, health authority and health trusts to see how services could be improved by pooling resources.

County councillor Ted Sheldon, who represents Bowbrook and is the council's spokesman for social services and health, is another member of the taskforce.

Patients, carers, service users and other members of the public are currently being asked for their opinions about initial proposals for the shake-up, as part of a three-month consultation exercise during the summer months.

The major policy shift, being phased in over several years at the Government's request, is the biggest change in public service provision since the launch of the Welfare State more than 50 years ago.

"We want a health service and social care system which is designed around the needs of its users," said Mrs Cravos.

"We have moved a long way in five years but progress is not fast enough. We must find a better way to focus our services on the people who use them."

The first proposal being introduced is the transformation of Primary Care Groups into Primary Care Trusts, intended to put frontline staff in charge of budgets and the ways services are organised and delivered.

They will also have wider ranges of responsibilities.

Consultations are due to take place over what will happen to mental health and learning disability services.

The Local Education Authority will be involved in discussions about children's services.

Councillor Sheldon said: "We must strive to have the right facilities in position to enable people to live in their own homes so priority number one should be home care and support for carers who do a wonderful job," he said.