Health Management and Policy Alert

Competition in public procurement

House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts -
The government spent £259bn procuring goods and services in 2021-22, but this report finds that it is unable to demonstrate that it is achieving value for money in public procurement, due to significant issues with the quality and completeness of data on contracts.

• Report
• House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts - news

Local authority marketing sustainability plans: insights report

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 
This report details a number of important themes identified by local authorities (LAs) when developing strategic approaches to market sustainability. These include: greater involvement of providers, service users and their friends and family; expanding domiciliary care markets and securing greater supply; and stabilising and adapting care home markets to the changing needs of local populations.

• Report

Opportunities for flexible commissioning in primary care dentistry: a framework for commissioners

NHS England - 

This guidance provides integrated care boards (ICBs) with an outline of the legal requirements of the national dental contractual framework and highlights the key considerations associated with procuring additional and further services, previously termed ‘flexible commissioning’.

• Framework
• More detail

Improving integrated commissioning in health and social care

Department of Health and Social Care -
This call for evidence views on changes to section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 to increase the use of pooled budgets to support the integration of health and care. It covers topics such as widening the scope to include additional health-related functions of local authorities and NHS bodies, perceived barriers to pooling of budgets, and strengthening and/or simplifying the governance of section 75. The call for evidence closes on 31 October 2023.

• Call for evidence
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

 

New perspectives on market facilitation: provider commissioner relationships

Institute of Public Care -
This briefing outlines how good working relationships between commissioning and care provider organisations are crucial and they have become even more so since the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis. It offers a perspective on how the current commissioning climate has influenced these relationships and provides a perspective on how the 'right' engagement activities can positively impact on having good working relationships and trust.

• Briefing
• Institute of Public Care - publications

Local enhanced service commissioning through GP contracts

NHS England -
This guidance document sets out how integrated care boards can commission local enhanced services through primary medical care contracts.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

SAS professional development funding: application guidance

NHS Employers -
To support the implementation of the new 2021 specialty doctor and specialist contracts and the professional development of specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors (SAS) doctors, NHS England included the SAS development funding in 2021/22 and 2023/24 within commissioner allocations. This guidance has been published in partnership with the British Medical Association to support employers to allocate SAS development funding.

• Guidance

From delegation to integration: lessons from early delegation of primary pharmacy, ophthalmology and dentistry commissioning to integrated care boards

NHS Confederation - 

Delegation of primary pharmacy, ophthalmology and dentistry (POD) from NHS England to integrated care boards (ICBs) on 1 April 2023, provides an opportunity to transform care for patients but will need a realistic timetable and smooth transition if this transformation is to be achieved. This report provides evidence from nine ‘early adopter’ ICBs and argues that closer local collaboration between NHS systems and frontline providers can be the single biggest to driver to address local provision challenges.

• Report

Joining the dots: a blueprint for preventing and managing frailty in older

British Geriatrics Society - 

This document sets out seven system touchpoints and outcomes that should be considered when planning and commissioning health and social care for older people, alongside twelve actions that systems should take to create the conditions for high-quality integrated care for older people. The blueprint is aimed primarily at system leaders and commissioners of health and social care services for older people. It is hoped that it will assist these senior decision-makers to understand and implement the core features of age-attuned integrated care for older people.

• Blueprint
• More detail

England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2023: main report

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 

This is England’s second Rare Diseases Action Plan, following the DHSC's commitment to publish action plans annually during the lifetime of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. This action plan has been developed in close collaboration with delivery partners across the health system and the rare disease community. It reports on progress against the sixteen actions set out in the first Rare Diseases Action Plan and announces thirteen new specific, measurable actions for the next year under the framework’s priority areas and underpinning themes.

• Policy paper
• More detail