NHS England wants all CCGs to merge across their integrated care system (ICS) boundaries by April 2022, Pulse reports.
Proposed changes to legislation would hand ICSs direct commissioning power for primary care services.
The proposals emerged this week amidst announcements about new national tiers of lockdown, and long-awaited national public health advice about mixing at Christmas.
GPs have heavily criticised the ICS structure and last month GP members at a CCG facing a merger next April voted overwhelmingly against the plans.