A GP group has been handed control of more than £100 million of the primary care trust’s (PCT) budget this year.

Bolton Health Consortium (BHC), originally known as Bolton GP Commissioning Consortium, is made up of 40 of the town’s 50 practices.

It is one of two groups who will take over buying health services when PCTs are scrapped in 2013.

NHS Bolton will cease to exist from April that year, with GP consortia or groups, replacing them to commission services.

It is part of huge NHS reforms being introduced by the Government.

But bosses from the new consortium have promised to protect the interests of Bolton patients.

Wirin Bhatiani, chairman of Bolton Health Consortium, said: “We are acting as a sub committee of the PCT during this interim.

The interests of the Bolton population are going to be protected.”

BHC is set up and developing in shadow form and 2011/12 is the first year in the transition to the new NHS structure.

NHS Bolton, which will remain the legal body, overseeing the changes until it is axed, has granted the consortium control of three main aspects of its £450 million budget after receiving a request.

GPs will eventually control most of this pot of money.

The areas amount to more than £113 million and cover improving disease registers and targeting patients to improve their health, urgent care, emergency treatment at the Royal Bolton Hospital, and primary care prescribing, issuing medication.

The other consortia, Bolton Collaborative Consortium, which has 10 practices joined up, will be supporting and influencing its work.

Bolton Collaborative Consortium is still developing and is considering if it is ready to take on budget responsibilities.

It is also applying for “pathfinder” status, meaning it can start to commission services.