02.05.14
CCGs offered enhanced primary care commissioning powers
NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has revealed that England’s 211 clinically-led local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will get new powers to improve local health services under a new co-commissioning initiative.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of NHS Clinical Commissioners in London, he said: “I am inviting those CCGs that are interested in an expanded role in primary care to come forward and show how new powers would enable them to drive up the quality of care, cut health inequalities in primary care, and help put their local NHS on a sustainable path for the next five years and beyond.”
However, rather than advocating a one-size-fits-all solution for CCGs, which replaced primary care trusts in April 2013, Stevens stated that he wanted to hear from CCGs themselves about what next steps they would like to explore.
Next week he will be writing to all CCGs in England with details of how to submit expressions of interest in taking on enhanced powers and responsibilities to co-commission primary care.
Applications will need to describe the additional powers and responsibilities the CCG would like to assume, and the expression of interest should be developed by 20 June. They will need to meet a number of tests, including showing how they will help advance care integration, raise standards and cut health inequalities in primary care.
CCGs will also need to show how they will ensure transparent and fair governance – with a continuing oversight role for NHS England to safeguard against conflicts of interest – all in the context of the CCG’s five-year plan for its local NHS services.
Each proposal will be discussed by the applicant CCGs and the local Area Team of NHS England, which will subsequently make a recommendation for approval by the Board of NHS England.
The new chief executive, who replaced Sir David Nicholson on 1 April, added that England has now taken the bold step of putting two thirds of its health service funding under the control of local family doctors and clinicians.
During his speech he highlighted that at a time when funding is constrained the NHS needs to make it easier for patients, local communities and local clinicians to exercise more “clout” over how services are developed, which the new initiative should enable.
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