“Payment mechanisms and incentives will need to be aligned across providers” says King’s Fund report

Butterfly emerging from a chrysalis to reflect transformation

Aimed at commissioners, clinical commissioning groups, commissioning support units, this evidence-based paper aims to bring some clarity to the current and future contractual models, as “many clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have started to develop novel contracting and commissioning tools”.

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Commissioning for health improvement can help tackle health inequalities, says report

Public health 1

This new guide from the Royal Society for Public Health is most relevant to commissioners, providers, local authorities, people working in health improvement and public health practitioners. Take a look and see which areas will be most useful to you in terms of reducing health inequalities and improving health and wellbeing in your area.

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“Care needs to be just as important as treatment” says report

Pathway through a forest

This practical guidance has been written to help commissioners, service providers, nurses, medical, and allied health professionals, understand the difference care and compassion can make to the service experience of frail older people, and also to the financial situation of health and social care organisations. The guide covers the following themes: Reducing healthcare-related harm Care [read the full story…]

Improve local community mental health services using this framework

Shape of a head filled with cogs

This work, developed by accountancy firm Mazars LLP, has been commissioned by NHS Confederation and Strategic Health Authority Mental Health Leads. It is a diagnostic tool aimed at mental health commissioners working for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), helping them to identify where the gaps are in their local service provision and what they need to [read the full story…]

Primary care must change to meet needs of population, says report

Hand holding a glowing lightbulb

The King’s Fund has just published this report, which describes how the health and social care workforce are coming up with new models for delivering primary care, to support the “current system of commissioning”. The report is aimed at commissioners, GP staff, and related stakeholders, including social care and local authorities, and promotes improved liaison [read the full story…]

“Voluntary and independent sectors can participate in the delivery of commissioning support”, says report

Hand sharing love

This report is about how the voluntary and independent sectors can support the commissioning process, and is aimed at them, the clinical commissioning groups, and the commissioning support units. Key elements The key required commissioning support elements, as described in Figure 1 of this report, include: Health needs assessment, using the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment [read the full story…]

Supporting early diagnosis in primary care

Imaging

Introduction This good practice guide is a collaborative effort between the Royal College of Radiologists, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the Society and College of Radiographers. It has been developed to improve imaging services in the early stages of illness, particularly in primary care, by building strong partnerships between diagnostic imaging departments and [read the full story…]

Highs and lows of commissioning over the past ten years

Trees reflected in a canal

Introduction The report provides practical guidance and support for NHS employees working in the new NHS system, in particular commissioners working in clinical commissioning groups, local authorities, and NHS England (NHS Commissioning Board). The NHS Confederation is an organisation that identifies best practice and helps NHS staff to implement it. It has produced this report [read the full story…]