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Clinical leadership is vital as commissioning evolves says NHSCC

Clinical leadership is vital as commissioning evolves says NHSCC
20 October 2016



 

Clinical leadership, expertise and local knowledge is crucial as commissioning evolves, The future of commissioning, a new report from NHS Clinical Commissioners’ (NHSCC) said.

NHSCC co-chair and Blackpool CCG’s chief clinical officer Amanda Doyle said: “The unique value of CCGs is their combination of credible clinical leadership, expertise and knowledge of the communities they serve. This local dimension must not be lost.”

 

Clinical leadership, expertise and local knowledge is crucial as commissioning evolves, The future of commissioning, a new report from NHS Clinical Commissioners’ (NHSCC) said.

NHSCC co-chair and Blackpool CCG’s chief clinical officer Amanda Doyle said: “The unique value of CCGs is their combination of credible clinical leadership, expertise and knowledge of the communities they serve. This local dimension must not be lost.”

She said collaboration and effective relationships are key for the NHS’s  future.

The report said there was no appetite for more restructuring of clinical commissioning.

It said there was unlikely to be a single model of commissioning in the future. Instead it should be driven by local needs as commissioning evolves.

NHSCC also called for changes to the  financial support for strategic commissioning so CCGs could focus on preventing ill health.

CCGs cannot delegate their statutory roles  but they can contract  them differently through new structures such as accountable care organisations (ACOs).

“We see this less as a dismantling of the statutory commissioner task, rather much more the opportunity for CCGs to become strategic commissioners,” said the report.

It described how commissioners and providers are increasingly working together to focus on population health.

Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers said commissioners “should work in an integrated way.”

The report said CCGs have learnt more about the population size and geographical area which works best in commissioning services since they were set up three years ago.

Sarah Pickup, deputy chief executive of the Local Government Association said: “Commissioning must be place-based, population-focused and person-centred.”

She predicted more joint working between council and CCGs.

Some CCGs could merge and others collaborate more closely as they become more strategic, the report said.

Some commissioning footprints could change size as commissioners decide “what works best locally.”

NHSCC pointed out “inconsistent levels of support from arm’s-length bodies.”

It called for national bodies to support strategic commissioning “as a valuable part of the health system.”

It also called on NHS England to invest in clinical commissioner development.

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