The man leading reforms to the NHS in East Cheshire says the potential dropping of the government’s health bill could cause chaos in local services.

Dr Paul Bowen chairs the East Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) group which is gradually taking over services from the local Primary Care Trust (PCT).

The group, made up of 22 GP practices and currently employing nine staff, hopes to treble in size and be running in shadow form from April.

However the legislation behind the changes has yet to pass through parliament, with Labour asking for it to be scrapped.

But Dr Bowen, based at a surgery in Poynton, says the group is now too far down the line of reform and abandoning the bill would  leave bosses with an uphill task.

He said: “The experience in our group is that the progress of transition in terms of the PCT transferring responsibility and development of its structures has gone so far, that putting the pieces back together would be so complex I feel it would create chaos.

“I liken it to getting three-quarters of the way across the Atlantic in a jumbo jet, thinking you may run out of fuel and then deciding to turn back.

“It would be more difficult to turn back than soldier on and find solutions.

“I think reversal would undo all of the promising work.”

He denied suggestions they had moved ahead too quickly with the reforms.

Dr Bowen said: “We have gone as fast as local GPs wanted to go and as fast as the PCT wanted to go.

“The PCT locally has been progressive in delegating and they remain the accountable body.” He said that even if the bill were dropped, he believes much of the work done so far could be continued.

Dr Bowen added: “Whilst it would be a shock, it wouldn’t be disaster, it would be a lot of work for a lot of people to put back together.

“But going forward we would have to look at the positives from the last 12 months and make sure that’s not wasted.

“I think we could work with the PCT to maintain the principles of reform.”

Dr Bowen was one of 50 GPs who wrote to a national newspaper last week backing the plans and he says he remains firmly behind the changes.

He said: “It’s not a complete transformation from what has happened before.

“The principles of the reform we support, putting the patients at the centre of care and putting clinicians in the driving seat.

“I think some of the concerns of the BMA and other groups are entirely valid.

“But the government has ­listened and altered the ­legislation.”

He added: “I don’t think it’s necessary to get everyone GP on board as long as they have faith in the GPs who are prepared to.”