NHS officials have been questioned over the 'support' they have offered to a newly-formed private healthcare company.

Earlier this month, the Lancashire Telegraph revealed how 30 doctors' surgeries have bought shares in a firm called the Lancashire EU of GPs Ltd. The practices are also members of East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which decides how NHS cash is spent.

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The new firm is expected to bid for primary care contracts from the CCG, which has prompted fears of a potential 'conflict of interest'.

Now concerns have been raised about the support being offered to the firm by the CCG, which invited doctors to its Nelson headquarters in August, to 'finalise arrangements for setting up the Lancashire EU of GPs'.

Mark Youlton, the CCG's finance director, attended the meeting for 'an open discussion regarding opportunities to establish future effective working relationships between the EU and the CCG'.

Health campaigner Russ McLean and Hyndburn MP Graham Jones have both raised concern that an NHS organisation has been offering support to a private company.

In a statement, the CCG said the invitation to the August meeting was sent on behalf of the company's shadow board.

It added: "We regularly work with healthcare providers, patients, voluntary organisations and other groups to support development and collaborative ways of working for the benefit of patients’ health care. The CCG is not involved in setting up this federation of GPs.

"East Lancashire CCG recognises that a step change in the organisation, capacity and capability of primary care is required in order to deliver positive change for the people of East Lancashire and as a result have been working with groups of GP practices across the five localities and 10 neighbourhoods in East Lancashire to support the sharing of best practice, sharing of learning experiences and the sharing of expertise with a view to building future collaborative ways of working."

Lancashire EU of GPs said: "The CCG support has been to provide a place for meeting which has been a facility available to all GPs as long as it is seen to be commensurate with the needs of primary care development. To our knowledge this has been compliant with CCG governance processes. "