commissioning

Commissioning in the NHS is the process of ensuring that the health and care services provided effectively meet the needs of the population. It is a complex process with responsibilities ranging from assessing population needs, prioritising health outcomes, procuring products and services, and managing service providers.

Our commissioning Blogs

Will the Family Nurse Partnership model work in the UK?

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Family Nurse Partnership is a preventive programme for vulnerable first time young mothers. It offers intensive and structured home visiting, delivered by specially trained nurses, from early pregnancy until the child is two. The Family Nurse Partnership began in England in 2007 with initial testing in 10 sites. There are now over 50 sites across [read the full story…]

The common core principles for supporting people with dementia

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The Department of Health has commissioned Skills for Care and Skills for Health to produce new guidance for health and social care professionals who work with people who have dementia. The publication provides guidance for leaders and managers, commissioners and training and education leads to develop a workforce that can create dementia friendly settings. It [read the full story…]

Reducing alcohol related hospital admissions and improving quality of care (QIPP)

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The British Society of Gastroenterology and the Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have published a quality and productivity (QIPP) case study, which looks at how to reduce alcohol related hospital admissions and improve the quality of care. Very few hospitals have dedicated alcohol services, and a 2009 survey showed that only 42% of acute [read the full story…]

New research report on self-management published by The Health Foundation

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Policy-makers, commissioners and healthcare providers will be interested in this new rapid review that compiles evidence about the effects of supporting self-management on people’s quality of life, clinical outcomes and health service use. Reviewers searched more than 10 bibliographic databases for research evidence published up until September 2010. More than 100,000 reports were scanned and the [read the full story…]

Payment by results for mental health services: an update from the Department of Health

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Bob Alexander (Director of NHS Finance) and Bruce Calderwood (Director of Mental Health Policy) have written to all mental health service leads with an update on Payment by Results for mental health services for working age and older people. The letter confirms that: The Department of Health (DH) are now in the ‘implementation phase’ of mental [read the full story…]

New briefing to help commissioners and providers deliver services for early intervention in psychosis

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The NHS Confederation Mental Health Network have published another excellent briefing paper aimed at commissioners and providers.  This time they are tackling how best to plan and deliver early intervention in psychosis services. Here’s the summary: In the current challenging financial climate, mental health organisations are looking at how they can do things differently to [read the full story…]

DH publish the ‘You’re Welcome self review tool’ to help commissioners and providers assess their services for young people

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Are your services ‘young people friendly’? Do you involve young people in service improvement? Do you give young people the opportunity to share in decisions about their care and the services available to them? Originally published in 2007, but now updated for 2011: ‘You’re Welcome’: Quality criteria for young people friendly health services (PDF) aims to [read the full story…]