Category: CCGs

Right care: wrong answers

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date November 14, 2017

Dropkin, G. Journal of Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdx136

Published: 03 November 2017

Background

NHS RightCare is an NHS England programme describing itself as ‘a proven approach that delivers better patient outcomes’. It identifies opportunities for savings and quality improvements, comparing each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with the ‘Best 5’ of a fixed set of ‘Similar 10’ CCGs chosen using equally weighted demographic and deprivation indicators. This article tests whether these indicators are sufficient and equal weighting is appropriate, and evaluates significance.

Methods

Robust public data on lung, colorectal, and breast cancer mortality is modelled using the indicators and incidence. Peers chosen using the preferred models are compared with the Similar 10. Confidence intervals are obtained for comparator group averages. RightCare significance is simulated.

Results

Preferred models have unequally weighted covariates. Incidence is the strongest predictor of lung cancer mortality. The ‘Similar 10’ are inappropriate comparators. RightCare significance ignores variability of comparator outcomes, causing 12% Type I errors. Whilst RightCare shows 1842 annual avoidable lung cancer deaths in 80 CCGs, only 168 deaths in 8 CCGs appear exceptional using appropriate peers and CIs.

Conclusion

CCGs cannot expect to match the average performance of the RightCare ‘Best 5’. Until the methodology is examined with data of known quality, claims that RightCare is a ‘proven approach’ are unsubstantiated.

CCGs Commissioning Licensing Planning Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners

A guide for CCGs: engaging the public in difficult decisions about health service

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date June 30, 2015

By NHS Clinical Commissioners (2015)

This guide draws on case studies of three different reconfiguration programmes and offers some tips on how to get your engagement right.

Click here to view this guide

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Primary care co-commissioning: a survey of members' views of their CCG and its role in primary care

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date April 29, 2015

By The King’s Fund (2015)

This slidepack presents the key findings from a survey of GPs in six CCGs. The survey explored members’ views of their CCG and its role in primary care. It was conducted by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund as part of a three year project, looking to understand how the CCGs at the heart of the NHS reforms are developing.

Click here to view this slidepack

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Guidance to support the introduction of access and waiting times standards for mental health services in 2015/16

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date April 10, 2015

By NHS England (2015)

This guidance is aimed at CCGs and how new access and waiting time standards for mental health services are to be introduced. It explains the case for change in four areas and sets out the expectations of local commissioners for delivery during the year ahead working with providers and other partners.

Click here to view this guidance

CCGs Commissioning Community Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners

Commissioning better community services for NHS patients

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date March 20, 2015

By Monitor (2015)

This report looks at what CCGs are doing about community services as the contracts entered into after the Transforming Community Services programme expire. As contracts expire, commissioners need to consider what options are best for patients. This review of community services commissioning explaining how commissioners can support a move to more co-ordinated care for patients closer to home.

Click here to view this report

CCGs Commissioning General Practice Licensing Planning

Risk or reward: the changing role of CCGs in General Practice

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date March 3, 2015

By The King’s Fund & Nuffield Trust (2015)

This report, written jointly with the Nuffield Trust, finds that CCGs risk becoming unsustainable without changes to the way they attract leaders and adequate funding to help them expand their remit. The report also highlights concerns that changes to the way primary care is commissioned in England; waning levels of engagement from GPs with a formal role in CCGs; and cuts to CCG management budgets means these bodies risk becoming unsustainable.

Click here to view this report

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Alcohol, drugs and tobacco joint strategic needs assessment support pack

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date October 6, 2014

By Public Health England (October 2014)

This support pack aims to help local areas develop joint strategic needs assessments and local joint health and wellbeing strategies that effectively address public health issues relating to alcohol, drug and tobacco use. It consists of eight resources covering young people’s substance misuse and adult alcohol, drug and, for the first time in 2014, tobacco use. For each topic area there are good practice evidence-based prompts to support local areas to assess need, plan and commission effective services and interventions. The second component for each topic is a bespoke data pack for every local authority to support needs assessment and commissioning.

Click here to view this support pack

CCGs Commissioning General Practice Licensing Planning Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners

CCGs one year on: member engagement and primary care development

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date April 30, 2014

By The King’s Fund (2014)

This slideshow presents the results of a survey of GPs in six CCG areas which investigated the experiences of member of CCGs over their first year. Whilst less than half of the GPs surveyed felt that decisions made by CCGs reflected their views, the research also suggests that three times as many GPs think that they can influence the work of their CCG than they could their predecessors, PCTs. The survey is an interim finding from ongoing work between The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust to understand how CCGs are developing.

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CCGs Diabetes Healthy Settings Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners

State of the Nation 2013

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date January 6, 2014

By Diabetes UK (2013)

This report highlights the continuing challenge that diabetes continues to present to the NHS and that quality of care is uneven throughout the country. Checking against NICE standards people who live in the best-performing CCG area are four times more likely to be given eight of the vital health checks recommended by NICE as compared to people living in the worst-performing area. It argues that diabetes care is adequately funded but that the focus of the spending should be on prevention rather than treatment.

Click here to view this report

CCGs Commissioning Licensing Planning Primary Care Commissioning Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners

Briefing for commissioners on the NHS provider licence

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date December 23, 2013

By Monitor (November 2013)

All providers of health care services for the NHS including independent providers, will require a Monitor licence from 1st April 2014, unless they are exempt. This document outlines the action commissioners now need to take to be ready for 1st April 2014.

Click here to view this briefing