25.11.15
Specialist hospitals to share best practice with NHS England, Monitor and commissioners
Specialist hospitals are at the forefront of clinical innovation and could make a valuable contribution to the future of the NHS by sharing best practice and developing new care models, NHS England boss Simon Stevens has said.
In a foreword to a report by the Federation of Specialist Hospitals (FSH) being launched in Parliament today (25 November), Stevens said these providers already have an excellent track record nationwide.
“As we radically redesign care, now more than ever before we need to seize the opportunities that science and new treatments offer patients. We must maximise the impact of these centres of excellence and spread their learning across the rest of the health service,” he said.
“Through the new care models programme, we are already supporting specialist networks, like those led by The Christie, The Royal Marsden, Moorfields Eye Hospital and other federation members, to serve a wider population.”
In the report, the FSH recommends that the contributions specialist hospitals make to clinical research and innovation should be recognised and supported by national policy across the board, including the Accelerated Access Review.
Commissioners and policymakers should take advantage of this by working alongside specialist providers to identify and roll out local initiatives capable of helping the NHS meet its financial challenges.
Similarly, specialist hospitals and their partners should create incentives to encourage cross-institutional collaboration and pooled research, as well as explore joint working with international organisations.
At the top, NHS England and Monitor should work with specialist providers to explore and test new contracting and payment approaches that can support improvements in specialised care, as well as consider new reimbursement models to help develop and adopt new treatments and devices across the specialist networks.
NHS England in particular should work with these providers to assess the effectiveness of clinical engagement in specialised commissioning, reinforce the role of clinical reference groups, and develop a national strategy for specialised commissioning in a five-year blueprint.
The report’s launch event will also bring together a leading team of NHS figureheads and politicians to discuss the future of specialist services in England – including former care minister Norman Lamb MP, minister for life sciences George Freeman MP, and FSH chair and national director of clinical quality and efficiency at the Department of Health, Prof Tim Briggs.
Ahead of the launch, Prof Briggs said: “Specialist hospitals are characterised by their focus on a single speciality and, usually, by a disproportionately complex casemix. As such, specialist hospitals are often home to investment in cutting-edge innovation and are substantial contributors to clinical training and research.
“We are committed to working with others through the NHS to deliver the very best care as close to patients’ homes as appropriate with specialist oversight where necessary.”
The NHS Confederation called the report a great example of how the NHS can come together to “better harness innovation” and further recognise ground-breaking examples already occurring on the ground.
Rob Webster, its chief executive, added: “There has never been a more important time for this, as innovation is fundamental to transforming NHS care and finding greater efficiency.
“As a champion of the Accelerated Access Review, I am grateful that this report reinforces that the ultimate test of the Review will be how effectively the health system is able to adopt and spread innovations like these for the benefit of our staff, our patients and the NHS.”