Inclusion or control? : commissioning and contracting services for people

This paper seeks to critically assess the impact made by the introduction of commissioning and contracting as a new culture of social care in learning disability services. It offers an evaluation of the growth in importance of the user as consumer. Does the commissioning and the contract process give users with learning disabilities a greater influence over their services and ultimately their lives? It is suggested that far from empowering people with learning disabilities to have a say in the services they want, the emerging culture of business contracts and new public management transfers power firmly back into the hands of professionals making the decisions. Social work practice is changing in response to major shifts in social trends and at the behest of market values. Traditional models are being rejected and the challenge for social work is to adapt itself to operate within a competency based paradigm.

British Journal of Learning Disabilities, Concannon, Liam December 2006, vol. 34, no. 4, p. 200-205

NTA for Substance Misuse - commissioning

Commissioning plays a major role in ensuring that a range of appropriate drug treatment services are available to meet the needs of the local population. The needs of the community for drug treatment must be understood and the system of service put in place to address these needs has to be well planned, coordinated and monitored in order to achieve this task.

NTA Commissioning Page

The only thing you can't predict is where it will go

Cliff Prior, the new CEO of Un Ltd, the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs which heads up a group of not-for-profit organisations, discusses in an interview social enterprises and their potential for providing community services in the NHS.

Health Service Journal, December 2006, Vol. 116, no. 6035, p. 18-19

PCTs to assess services

All PCTs will have to conduct service reviews next year to examine the services they commission. They will also have to do a “local end of life service baseline review” in 2007-08, plus a strategy for choice in maternity.

Health Service Journal, December 2006, Vol. 116, no. 6036, p. 6

BMA principles for effective and successful commissioning

The BMA views the commissioning of patient care as a key function of a National Health Service seeking to balance the clinical needs of patients with the finite resources that society is prepared to make available via general taxation. Most importantly, effective commissioning has the potential to improve the range and quality of health services available to patients.

This document outlines a series of principles which the BMA would wish to see upheld as the role of commissioning develops.

(Published, November 2006)

10 high impact changes for genitourinary medicine

The National Support Team for Sexual Health is tasked with assisting PCTs and sexual health services achieve 48-hour access to GUM services. This guide provides Ten High Impact Changes which will help commissioners and services to implement sustainable solutions that will improve access and reduce STIs in their area.

(Published 11/12/06, 68 pages)

Improving Stroke Services: A guide for Commissioners

This Department for Health guide provides advice to commissioners on good practice on improving stroke services and highlights key issues to consider and summarises supporting resources. The toolkit, ASSET, is to assist NHS commissioners modernise stroke services. It shows PCTs and GPs, by using their own statistics, how better care will save money in the long run, reduce hospital bed days, and save lives.

(Published 7/12/06, 50 pages)

Developing General Practice in Anytown PCT through a Balanced Scorecard approach. (Developed by Tower Hamlets PCT.)

PCTs are now being required to commission and performance-manage primary care. It is clear that a number of useful performance indicators, including, for example, QOF, access surveys, patient surveys and premises surveys now exist to support this function. Nowhere however, are these different performance indicators brought together to allow a more balanced assessment of primary care performance and development. The purpose of this paper is therefore to bring these indicators together, set out minimum acceptable standards, and the PCT’s approach to improving standards.

(Published December 2006, 44 pages)

Care and Resource Utilisation: Ensuring appropriateness of care

This Department for Health document sets out for commissioners using practice-based commissioning (PBC) and primary care trusts (PCTs) some techniques to help identify areas where services can be redesigned, thereby freeing up resources to focus on clinically needy patients. Care and resource utilisation (CRU) is all about giving the patient the right treatment in the right place at the right time.

(Published date 14/12/06 86 pages)