Commissioning local breastfeeding support services

This DH commissioning guidance aims to assist commissioners and primary care trusts (PCTs) in providing coherent services that will promote breastfeeding and reduce inequalities, as set out in Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures: the strategy for children and young people’s health (Department for Children, Schools and Families and Department of Health, 2009, para 3.43), and to work with local Children’s Trust partners in delivering Public Service Agreement (PSA) 12.

It aims to: consolidate the case for breastfeeding care and support as an integral part of local strategies to improve child health and reduce health inequalities; signpost commissioners to sources of policy, practice and evidence; and set out some key considerations in relation to World Class Commissioning competencies within the three phases of the commissioning cycle.

It is recognised that commissioners will be operating in varied contexts - some will already have well-developed joint commissioning and Children’s Trust arrangements in place, while others will be at different stages of development.

Published October 2009, 58 pages

Health Inequalities Intervention Tools

To support Primary Care Trusts and local authorities, the Association of Public Health Observatories and Department of Health have developed the Health Inequalities Intervention Tools. These tools are designed to support evidence-based local service planning and commissioning, including Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

Other documents and conferences

1. WCC Data Packs coming soon
2. Reviews published on primary care information for the public
3. Tackling health inequalities: targeting routine and manual smokers in support of the Public Service Agreement smoking prevalence and health inequality targets
4. Review of NHS dental services in England
5. Recognising complexity: commissioning guidance for personality disorder services

Other Documents

Tackling health inequalities: 10 years on

Government Response to The Health Select Committee Report on Health Inequalities

Health Select Committee Report on Health Inequalities

In February the Health Select Committee published the report of its inquiry into health inequalities. It focuses on the difficulties in evaluating policies put in place by the Government to tackle health inequalities.

Published February 2009

IMHA Guidance for Commissioners

The Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) service commissioning guide has been prepared for the introduction of IMHA services on 1 April 2009. The guide outlines the statutory IMHA role, discusses good practice for IMHA services and outlines the commissioning process required to ensure high quality IMHA services are provided for qualifying patients under the Mental Health Act 1983.

The key to provision of IMHA services is effective commissioning. This guidance is designed to support commissioners in preparing for this new statutory service by providing a reference document to the legal and practical issues to be considered when commissioning IMHA services.
This document addresses equality issues throughout. They form an important consideration for those commissioning, delivering and receiving IMHA services.

Published December 2008, 58 pages

Putting prevention first: vascular checks, risk assessment and management; impact assessment

Vascular diseases include heart disease, strokes, diabetes and kidney disease. A universal risk assessment and management programme could significantly increase uptake of the preventative interventions, and offers a real opportunity to reduce health inequalities.

Published December 2008, 70 pages

Widespread variations remain in local NHS spending - new analysis from The King's Fund

Widespread variations in how much the NHS spends locally on different diseases – even after the different needs of local communities are taken into account – are revealed today in a new report from The King’s Fund. NHS spending: local variations in priorities: an update analyses Department of Health data covering the financial years 2004/5, 2005/6 and 2006/7. The report provides an update to a previous report from The King’s Fund in 2006, which for the first time analysed the varying amounts primary care trusts (PCTs) in England spend on diseases such as cancer, mental health and circulatory diseases (such as heart disease).

(Published August 2008, 8 pages)

Choosing health: supporting the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness (commissioning framework)

This document provides best practice guidance to help PCTs plan for, design, commission and monitor services that will deliver improved physical health and well-being for people with severe mental illness. It describes appropriate leadership for a physical healthcare programme, roles and responsibilities of those involved and provides case studies.

(Published August 2006, 38 pages)

Health Inequalities Intervention Tool

The Health Inequalities Intervention Tool is designed to support Spearhead Primary Care Trusts with their Local Delivery Planning and commissioning. It is designed to help achieve the Department of Health (DH) Public Service Agreement (PSA) target for life expectancy.

The DH PSA target on life expectancy aims to 'by 2010 reduce by at least 10% the gap between the Spearhead areas and the population as a whole'. This tool provides information on the following:

• Life expectancy in Spearhead local authorities
• The gap in life expectancy between the Spearhead local authorities and England
• A breakdown of the causes of the life expectancy gap by disease type and age

(Published 05/01/07)