Practice Based Commissioning
Last Updated on Friday, 26 May 2006
This document is the second in a new series of
guidance notes from the GPC on PBC.
For the most part, the series is aimed at practices
who intend to take on a level of commissioning activity wider than the scope of
the ‘Towards practice based commissioning’
Extract and round up of
recently produced documents - www.primarycarecontracting.nhs.uk
National
Patient Experience Survey Briefing
A national patient experience survey is being
developed to help understand, from the patient’s perspective, how well
Government priorities in primary care are being implemented. The survey follows
the agreement between NHS Employers and the GPC on linking general practice
awards for delivering directed enhanced services for Access and Choice to
patients’ experiences. Survey results will provide a measure of practices’
achievements in delivering improved access to services and offering a choice of
secondary care provider and will determine the level of awards due to practices
under those directed enhanced service schemes. - http://tinyurl.com/hhbre - Local Copy as PDF
Specialist
Provider Medical Services (SPMS)
7 Page Q & A on SPMS -
http://tinyurl.com/rovlf -
Local Copy as PDF
Project
Plan template for
The following draft practice plans are available:
DES access
- Local Copy as PDF
DES choice and
booking - Local Copy as PDF
This document is the first in a new
series of guidance notes from the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) on
practice based commissioning (PBC). For
the most part, the series is aimed at practices who intend to take on a level
of commissioning activity wider than the scope of the ‘Towards practice based
commissioning’
Local PDF Copy– 28 Apr 06
This GPC guidance note seeks to provide PMS
practices and GPs holding APMS contracts for essential services and LMCs with
information in light of the Department of Health guidance. Note that although the Department of Health
guidance does not apply to PCT Medical Services (PCTMS), there may be
implications for these practices. Where
applicable, these are set out in this GPC guidance.
Local PDF
Copy– 28 Apr 06
As part of the agreed changes
to the GMS contract for April 2006, a directed enhanced service (DES) was
developed to facilitate the use of information management and technology
(IM&T) to support the delivery of the National Programme for IT. The specification for this DES can be found
in Revisions to the GMS contract 2006/07: delivering investment in general
practice which is on the BMA and NHS Employers websites. Practices and PCTs will need to familiarise
themselves with the specification before reading this guidance note. A key objective of this DES is to support
practices to achieve accredited data quality standards that are fit for sharing
in the NHS Care Records Service. This
guidance provides PCTs and practices with further information about the data
accreditation process. Additional
technical guidance will be published by the end of summer 2006. Local PDF Copy– 28 Apr 06
The incentive to free up
resources from the indicative budget with practice/consortium-level control on how
funding is reinvested in patient services is a key driver for practice
engagement in practice based commissioning (PBC).
In its current guidance
‘Practice based commissioning: achieving universal coverage’ (January 2006),
the Department of Health recommends that practices are able to access and
redirect at least 70% of freed up resources, with the remaining percentage to
go to PCTs to meet needs across the PCT area (paragraph 47). There has been some confusion however over
the interpretation of paragraph 48 which states that ‘…as a last resort, these
resources may be used to cover PCT overspends’ and whether ‘these resources’
refers to 100% of freed up resources, or just the PCT’s share. Local PDF Copy– 28 Apr 06
The government is currently
initiating far-reaching reform of health services organisation and
delivery. Its reforms are based on a
philosophy of diversification of health care providers, patient choice and
competition and include initiatives in primary care such as practice based
commissioning, choose and book and Alternative Provider Medical Services
(APMS).
APMS in particular has the
potential to alter radically the face of primary care in the
Local PDF Copy– 28 Apr 06
Top tips to support practice based commissioning within
and between primary care providers
The following tips are based on the
practical experience of those involved in setting up practice based
commissioning. No doubt there will be others as more practices and other
professionals develop expertise. Nonetheless they are likely to be a useful “first
base” checklist. There is no expectation that you do everything in this list of
tips, rather they are meant to act as a series of prompts. Overriding all of
them is one clear imperative: involving patients is crucial to maximising
success in practice based commissioning.
It is essential that those involved
in using various service elements are consulted and can help create solutions
and redesign. Local Copy
The NHS in
Local
Copy or http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/73/15/04127315.pdf
Practice based commissioning: achieving universal coverage
The Department has developed a simple toolkit that can be used to determine
weighted capitation indicative budgets at practice level.
This guidance should be read before using the budget setting toolkit, and
sets out how to use the tool, and how to appropriately use the results of the
tool.
The Department published two practice based commissioning guidance
documents between December 2004 and February 2005.
Published in February 2005, this guidance included technical guidance to
help PCTs and practices implement practice based commissioning. It has now been
superseded by Practice based commissioning: achieving universal coverage.
Making practice based commissioning a reality - technical guidance
Based on - and superseding - the paper, Practice Based
Commissioning: Engaging practices in commissioning, t
his guidance was published in December 2004.
Practice based commissioning: promoting clinical engagement
The
latest Department of Health guidance on practice based commissioning is
available on the Department of Health website
www.dh.gov.uk/practicebasedcommissioning
On the DH page you will
also find previous guidance, PBC case studies and links to the web pages below.
The National Primary Care
Development Team is supporting PCTs and practices to help them become practice
based commissioners in a national programme that will be available to all PCTs
including an early series of webcasts and simulation events open to all. NPDT
has created with strategic health authorities and PCTs a practice based
commissioning assessment framework and is to be recommended. Further details of
the programme and the assessment framework are available www.npdt.org
The National Association
of Primary Care is operating a practice based commissioning helpline and web page
resource. It is also collecting and will be disseminating best practice. It
will be running further conferences on practice based commissioning and NHS
Foundation Trusts throughout 2006. For more information contact Maggie Marum on
0207 636 7228 or maggie@napc.co.uk and www.napc.co.uk
The NHS Alliance supports and represents
current and aspiring practice based commissioners through the NHS Alliance
Federation for Practice Based Commissioning, which provides information,
advice, a comprehensive database and monthly newsletters for member practices
and practice clusters/localities. There will be 15 regional practice based
commissioning conferences this spring and the launch of a practice based
commissioning ‘flying squad’ for practices and PCTs. Practice managers, PCT
commissioning managers, PEC chairs, specialists, nurses and allied health
professionals can also directly access help with practice based commissioning
through six national networks created specifically for these clinician/manger
groups. For more information contact Kaye Locke on 01777 869080 or
office@nhsalliance.org or visit www.nhsalliance.org
The
Primary Care Contracting Team has produced a practice based commissioning toolkit and is producing
briefing sheets on specific subject areas. It can also provide details of your
local primary care contracting advisor who can provide local expert knowledge
and support. For more information contact sean.fenelon@pcc.nhs.uk and
rebecca.thornley@pcc.nhs.uk or alternatively visit www.primarycarecontracting.nhs.uk
The
General Practitioners Committee (GPC) of the BMA continues to offer advice on practice based commissioning
to Local Medical Committees (LMCs) and individual GP practices. It has produced
guidance for LMCs and GPs on the initiative and plans to issue further guidance
following publication of this document. For more information contact Sally
Al-Zaidy at sal-zaidy@bma.org.uk or alternatively visit
www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubpracticebasedcommissioning
The NHS
Confederation has produced
briefings which will assist commissioners to understand the design principles
that could be used to develop practice based commissioning organisations that
are fit for purpose. The series of papers ‘Shaping the Future of Community
Health and Care for Patients’ provides commissioners at PCT and practice level
with service design principles and covers key issues which will support the
planning of services. For further information visit the website on
www.nhsconfed.org or contact Jo Webber, Deputy Policy
The
Royal College of Nursing is
running a series of masterclasses throughout 2006 for senior nurses and
workshops for all clinicians who wish to further develop their commissioning
knowledge. These high quality events are free to RCN members and can be
accessed via the RCN Regional Office. Further work will be taking place to
support senior nurses who will have commissioning roles to enable them to share
and learn from each other and build their commissioning capability. The RCN
primary care and public health web site contains specific guidance on
commissioning and supporting nurses through changing roles. For more
information contact Lynn Young on 0207 647 3740, email lynn.young@rcn.org.uk
Alternatively visit www.rcn.org.uk/pcph
The
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produces guidance for the NHS based on the
best available evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness. Using NICE guidance
to underpin commissioning decisions will therefore ensure any resultant
business case meets the PCTs’ criteria that new services are based on evidence
of clinical effectiveness and value for money. To provide practical support for
the commissioning process, NICE also produces detailed information on the costs
and savings associated with any change in current practice, and provides advice
for commissioners on the steps needed to put guidance into practice. For more
information visit the NICE website www.nice.org.uk
'Our Health, our care, our say: a new direction for community
services'
Devon LMC Summary Notes for
GPs – January 2006 –
This White Paper sets a new
direction for the whole health and social care system. It confirms the vision
set out in the Department of Health Green Paper,
http://tinyurl.com/9d7bj or Local Copy
·
BMA
responds to Government White Paper on care outside of hospitals – Local Copy
·
GPC Summary –
Ohocos White Paper – Local
Copy
·
White paper
newsletter 30 Jan 06 – Local
Copy
·
DH press
release 30Jan06 White paper publication – Local Copy
·
Health
Secretary Patricia Hewitt made the following statement in the House of Commons
today – Local Copy
·
Ohocos Executive Summary (4 Pages) – Local Copy
·
Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for
community services: A brief guide http://tinyurl.com/8wkp6 – Local Copy
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Last Updated on 26 May 2006
By John BakerEmail: jb@devonlmc.org