Health Management and Policy Alert

Breast screening: leading a service

Public Health England -
This guidance sets out the principles for local providers and commissioners for the organisation and leadership of local breast screening services.

• Guidance

NHS funding: clinical commissioning groups

House of Commons Library -
This paper gives details of funding allocations for each CCG in England from 2013/14 to 2020/21. It also describes the process used to allocate the funds.

• Research paper
• House of Commons - more detail and supporting documents

Alcohol, drugs and tobacco: commissioning support packs

Public Health England -
This guidance on smoking, drinking and drug misuse is produced for commissioners of tobacco control, drug and alcohol services for adults and young people. It aims to help develop joint strategic needs assessment and health and wellbeing strategies to reduce the harm caused by smoking, drinking, substance use and misuse in both adults and children.

• Guidance

Commissioning better oral health for vulnerable older people: an evidence-informed toolkit for local authorities

Public Health England -
These resources are designed to support commissioners in improving the oral health of vulnerable older people in all settings. The toolkit gives an overview of the impact of oral diseases in vulnerable older people and presents the evidence of what works to improve oral health to inform commissioning.

• Toolkit
• Evidence review
• Public Health England - publications

Health matters: health economics - making the most of your budget

Public Health England -
This guidance outlines how local authorities, NHS commissioners and health care providers can make better evidence-based commissioning decisions, and get the most from their budget using easy to use health economic tools, resources and core principles.

• Guidance
• Public Health England - publications

Less help to quit: what’s happening to stop smoking prescriptions across Britain

British Lung Foundation -

This report highlights a 75 per cent decline in stop smoking aids being prescribed by GPs and pharmacists across Great Britain. It finds that: in England there was a 75 per cent decline in the number of stop smoking aids dispensed in 2016- 17 compared with 2005-6; Scotland saw a 40 per cent drop in stop smoking aids prescribed, while in Wales, the number of all stop smoking products dispensed in 2016-17 fell to just a third of what was dispensed in 2007-08; and regional variation of clinical commissioning group prescribing levels is huge. There are many areas where prescriptions are extremely low, even in areas with high numbers of smokers. The report argues that this is a deeply concerning trend because the most effective treatment for tobacco dependency - medication alongside behavioural support – is now increasingly hard for smokers to access.

• Report
• Press release

 

The value of the executive commissioning nurse

NHS Clinical Commissioners -
Since their establishment, CCGs have been required to include a registered nurse on their governing body to expand the clinical knowledge and patient experience of the board. Many CCGs have expanded this role in recognition of the contribution that executive nurses embedded full-time in the day to day decision making of the CCG can make. This infographic showcases the expertise and insight that executive commissioning nurses can bring for patients, populations and the health care system.

• Infographics
• NHS Clinical Commissioners - news

The Prevention Challenge – one year on

Public Health England (PHE) - 
Public health professionals in the East Midlands have developed two innovative self-assessment and improvement tools to help NHS provider trusts and clinical commissioning groups take action against preventable long-term diseases caused by lifestyle choices. These reports review progress against the recommendations for both NHS provider trusts and CCGs, including self-identified good practice strengths and planned next steps.

• Reports

Building a business case for a minor ailment service

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) - 
The toolkit contains a number of resources to assist local pharmaceutical committees with the commissioning of a service, for example, a costing toolkit; a business case; service specification; implementation plan; and resources to notify local GP practices about the commissioning of a new service.

• Toolkit
• Summary

Integrated commissioning for better outcomes: a commissioning framework

Local Government Association (LGA) - 
This practical tool, a product of joint project with NHS Clinical Commissioners, updates the Commissioning for better outcomes framework 2015 to better reflect the changing commissioning landscape. The resource consists of a commissioning framework and commissioning standards which support continuous improvement.

• Guidance