A Policy Briefing is available for LKS staff to share in their organisations.  Produced by the JET Library at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  Feel free to reproduce it (with acknowledgement).

What does this mean for libraries? 

• LKS teams may be affected by changes to organisational structures.
• There may be an opportunity to deliver evidence and knowledge to managers, commissioners and transformation teams as health care services undergo this change.
• As organisational boundaries blur and take a ‘whole population’ approach, LKS may be required to adapt their service delivery models accordingly.
• If healthcare moves away from a competitive structure and towards a collaborative one, there will be many opportunities relating to knowledge management that could support the sharing and dissemination of good practice, innovation and organisational knowledge.
• LKS will have to consider how the negotiation and procurement of resources needs to adapt to reflect the changes in organisational structures.
• There is a clear role for technology in supporting the emergence of ACOs and that presents an opportunity for digitally enabled LKS.

Source: House of Commons Library

Link to main document

Date of publication: 9th January 2018

Summary of driver: This short briefing paper explains that Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) are a single provider or group provides healthcare for an entire population, and a way of delivering integrated healthcare outlined in the Five Year Forward View. It was announced in July 2017 that 8 areas would become Accountable Care Sytems (ACS), a precursor to ACOs. A draft ACO contract was introduced which was subject to legal challenge. This paper also discusses private sector involvement, and role of GPs and CCGs.

Additional information and resources are outlined in our Hot Topic: Accountable Care Organisations