Towards a framework for enhancing procurement and supply chain management practice in the NHS

"Those doing procurement in Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS hospitals need to gain a greater understanding of how this activity is done in commercial settings to improve their skills in the NHS. This study reviews research that has been done in this area already, presents an overview of it and uses it to suggest ways that clinicians and managers in the NHS can carry out their procurement role better."

Towards a framework for enhancing procurement and supply chain management practice in the NHS: lessons for managers and clinicians from a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical literature

J Sanderson , C Lonsdale , R Mannion , T Matharu 

Health Service Delivery & Resesearch 2015;3(18)

Read more here.

Commissioning for Value Integrated care pathways packs

NHS England and RightCare have created Commissioning for Value packs to support integrated care pathways across CCGs.

Access the London packs here.

Commissioning Support Lead Provider Framework

"NHS England has developed a new framework agreement for commissioning support services – the Lead Provider Framework (LPF). It enables Clinical Commissioning Groups(CCGs), NHS England and other customers to source some or all of their commissioning support needs"

Commissioning Support Lead Provider Framework
NHS England

Find out more and access the framework here.

The NHS under the coalition government - NHS reform

"This paper explores the coalition government’s record on NHS reform by describing the situation it inherited when it came to power in 2010, the policies it has pursued, and (where available) evidence of their impact."

The NHS under the coalition government - Part one: NHS reform
C Ham, B Baird, S Gregory, J Jabbal, H Alderwick
The King's Fund
February 2015

Read more here.

Risk or reward?: The changing role of CCGs in general practice

"In our case study sites we found that the sustainability of clinical involvement in commissioning was at risk due to waning levels of GP leader engagement in CCGs, potential problems in the recruitment and retention of leaders, and significant pressures on GPs’ time and capacity."

Risk or reward?: The changing role of CCGs in general practice
R Robertson, S Ross, L Bennett, H Holder, J Gosling, N Curry
The King's Fund
January 2015

Read more here.

Bulletin for Clinical Commissioning Groups

The November edition of the Bulletin for CCGs, featuring news, strategic and operational issues has been released. Access it here.

Improving the value of diabetes care in Slough

"The Commissioning for Value Insight pack for Slough CCG identified that diabetes presented an opportunity for both quality improvement and financial savings. These opportunities were indicated by higher numbers of non-elective admissions compared with similar CCGs and also higher prescribing costs for conditions resulting from complications in cases of diabetes that were not well controlled."

Slough CCG: Improving the value of diabetes care in Slough (Right Care casebook)
N Nanda, R Sultana
October 2014

Read more here.

Implementing the NICE guideline on gallstone disease

"The guideline may have resource implications at a local level as a result of variation in clinical practice across the country. Therefore, we encourage organisations to evaluate their own practices against the recommendations in the NICE guideline and assess costs and savings locally. "

Costing statement: Gallstone disease: Implementing the NICE guideline on gallstone disease (CG188)
NICE
October 2014

Read more here.

Urgent and planned care: operational resilience and capacity planning

"Guidance to support NHS healthcare providers and commissioners with their planning for operational resilience during 2014/15."

Urgent and planned care: operational resilience and capacity planning for 2014/15
Monitor, NHS England and NHS Trust Development Authority
June 2014

Read more here.

London CCGs map out future of mental health commissioning

"A leadership programme to help London CCG mental health leads commission more effectively was the result of a major collaborative effort, writes Stefanie Radford and colleagues"

London CCGs map out future of mental health commissioning
S Radford, A Moore, P Fonagy, P Ilves, G Strathdee, G Monks
Health Service Journal
July 2014

Read more here.

NHS 111 Commissioning Standards

"This document sets out the Commissioning Standards for the NHS 111 service in England which has been jointly developed between CCGs and NHS England." 

NHS 111 Commissioning Standards
NHS England
June 2014

Read more here.

Commissioning for outcomes: a narrative from and for clinical commissioners

"The purpose of this document from the Quality and Outcomes Working Group (QWG) is to stimulate discussion amongst CCG members on the practical tools we now require to be developed for all 211 CCGs, as well the barriers that need to be removed, to support our commissioning for outcomes"

Commissioning for outcomes: a narrative from and for clinical commissioners
NHS Commissioning Assembly
June 2014

Read more here.

NHS England's commitment for carers

"Carers are a hugely important asset to the NHS as well as to the people for whom they provide care for. This document sets out a series of commitments that NHS England will do to support carers, reflecting what NHS England has heard from carers during a number of engagement events."

NHS England's commitment for carers

NHS England

April 2014

Read more here.

End of life care profiles for clinical commissioning groups

"These profiles, launched on 28 April 2014, draw together a wide range of information to give an overview of variations in cause and place of death, by age and sex, for each clinical commissioning group (CCG) in England. The profiles will help commissioners and providers of end of life care get a clearer picture of the end of life care needs of their local populations. They will help with the planning and delivery of services and will support drives locally towards improving end of life care."

End of life care profiles for clinical commissioning groups
Public Health England
April 2014

Access the profiles here.

Improving Wheelchair Services

These documents summarise the discussions at the Wheechair Summit, which brought together wheelchair users with NHS clinicians, managers and third sector organisations to improve services, both locally and nationally.

Find out more and access all the resources here.

Planning and delivering service changes for patients

"This guidance is designed to support CCGs and NHS England with the planning, development and assurance of proposals for major service change and reconfiguration. It provides a high level process, sets out good practice, and explains how to assess proposals against the Government’s ‘four tests’."

Planning and delivering service changes for patients
Strategy Unit - NHS England
December 2013

Read more here.

Engaging with individual patients

"Part of the Smart Guides to Engagement series, this guide helps clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and service providers to enable and support the engagement of individuals with healthcare services."

Smart guides to engagement: Engaging with individual patients
D Redding
NHS Networks
December 2013

Read more here.

Right Care commissioning Resource Centre

Right Care have brought together a range of resources to support the work of commissioners. The Resource Centre includes:

• Casebooks
• Online learning videos
• CCG SPOT Tool
• Commissioning for Value packs
• Population Healthcare Glossary
• Essential reading

Access these resources here.

An exploration of the early development of Clinical Commissioning Groups in the English NHS

"This early study raises some important issues and concerns, including the risk that the different bodies to whom CCGs are accountable will have differing (or conflicting) agendas, and the lack of clarity over the operation of sanction regimes."

Accountable to whom, for what? An exploration of the early development of Clinical Commissioning Groups in the English NHS
K Checkland, P Allen, A Coleman, J Segar, I McDermott, S Harrison, C Petsoulas, S Peckham
BMJ Open, 2013, 3:e003769

Read more here.

Admissions avoidance and diabetes

"The document emphasises the scale of the clinical and financial problem of diabetes admissions to UK hospitals and commissioners, and describes models shown to reduce variability."

Admissions avoidance and diabetes: guidance for clinical commissioning groups and clinical teams
Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care
December 2013

Read more here.