New Clinical Commission Coalition to champion CCGs
Released: 12/09/2011
The NHS Alliance and the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) have joined forces to form an independent coalition to support clinical commissioning and Clinical Commissioning Groups
The combined force of the two organisations will create a strong collective voice for frontline clinicians, CCGs and their leaders, ensuring that CCGs are at the heart of the new NHS as opposed to being controlled by the centre and overburdened by statutory responsibilities.
The Coalition will bring together the best talents in clinical commissioning. It will ensure that CCGs are able to work in a favourable environment and receive the right level of support for their successful implementation.
Dr Michael Dixon, chairman of the NHS Alliance, said: “As the two organisations that have wholeheartedly championed clinical commissioning over the last two decades, we have a long history of commitment and dedication to the clinical commissioning cause.
“We will listen to and represent CCGs’ views and concerns without compromise, wherever and whenever necessary. We will be a united voice that will serve to balance the top heavy approach often seen in the NHS. We will insist on ‘nothing about us without us’.”
Dr Johnny Marshall, Chairman of NAPC, said: “Our respective organisations bring their particular strengths to the table to enable us to be bigger than the sum of our parts. NAPC has an unwavering history of supporting innovative GPs working with budgets, bringing both clinical and financial accountability together for the benefit of local patients and populations.
“These are exciting, if challenging, times’ Dr Marshall continued. ‘The strength of our two organisations working in partnership on the same agenda should reassure Clinical Commissioning Groups of our commitment to their cause and that of their patients.”
Both NHS Alliance and NAPC will contribute to and have ownership of this new initiative for Clinical Commissioning Groups, while maintaining their individual identities in respect of other functions that are not relevant to commissioning or Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Clinical Commissioning Coalition’s Principles
The Coalition has agreed a number of shared principles as set out below:
1. That NHS Commissioning should be a public function exercised by statutory bodies in the public sector alone. NHS commissioners themselves should be free to choose the support they need from whatever source they feel to be appropriate.
2. That the NHS should be based on an approach which maximises local responsibility and ownership through local determination rather than central direction and that the NHS Commissioning Board should do only those things that must be done at national level.
3. That Clinical Commissioning Group Boards should have GPs as majority members with a strong primary care focus. Boards will need to ensure the appropriate involvement of other clinicians and managers and have strong representation from local communities and Independent Directors.
4. That NHS provision should be appropriately distributed across the public, third and independent sectors according to the public interest. Competition is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Those providing NHS services should clearly subscribe to NHS values of openness, transparency and accountability and behave in a manner consistent with those values.
5. That the NHS should develop integrated care, both vertically and horizontally, centred on the needs of the patient rather than the providing organisations, supported by appropriate payment systems.
Clinical Commissioning Coalition’s Priorities
1. Lobby the government to review the role and power of NHS Commissioning Board to ensure that it is set up as an organisation that enables rather than controls CCG’s work.
2. CCG’s self-determination – Clinical Senates, Clinical Networks, and Local Health and Wellbeing Boards should help not hinder CCGs, who must be the final decision makers for their patients.
3. Work with government to ensure that aspiring Clinical Commissioning Groups do receive the funds intended to support their development.
4. Oppose any suggestion that Clinical Commissioning Groups should be constrained in their choice of commissioning support.
5. Monitor and CQC should be required to demonstrate that they are acting in the public interest. The Coalition will seek to ensure that Clinical Commissioning Groups have the means of challenging their decisions.
6. Transparency - the Coalition believes that the payment of any quality premium to reward Clinical Commissioning Groups which commission effectively should be transparent, represent good value for money and be in the public interest.
Ends.
Notes to editors:
1. NHS Alliance brings together GP consortia, PCTs, clinicians and managers as the leading organisation in primary care. We are an independent non-political membership organisation proud to be at the forefront of clinically-led commissioning. Its leaders are all dedicated professionals, who represent the Alliance’s diverse membership, working ceaselessly to meet the challenges facing the NHS today. Find out more at www.nhsalliance.org
2. The National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) is a non-political, non-profit-making organisation representing and supporting the interests of all its members, both individuals and organisations working in or with primary care. It also offers support through associate membership to those bodies, which provide services to primary care or have other health-related interests. Find out more at www.napc.co.uk
3. For more information, please email pressoffice@nhsalliance.org or call 07772756674.