Better commissioning
Challenges
Commissioners face complex choices when deciding how best to secure improvements in health outcomes. They have to deliver a comprehensive yet equitable range of high quality services all within tight budgets.
What we do
We help NHS organisations make informed decisions about managing scarce resources. This includes decisions about changes to service delivery as well as obtaining the best value from new interventions.
Our work on priority setting enables our clients to balance complex choices, backed up with independent evidence and ethical frameworks. We are able to support commissioners through the whole process from developing new policy to implementation and audit. We will help commissioners understand the key evidence available; provide a detailed analysis of patient outcomes, alongside the cost impact for PCTs and NHS trusts. We also help commissioners engage with local clinicians and support decision making groups as well as providing training and development in effective priority setting for all PCT staff involved in commissioning.
Through our work on appraisals we ensure that PCTs across England are able to develop a proactive and positive relationship with NICE and to make a positive contribution to each Technology Appraisals Guidance (TAG). We achieve this through training and mentoring, evidence synthesis reports and specialist support for appeals.
Our work on commissioning helps our clients effectively plan, specify, and review services. We do this by matching service delivery and development to service needs and epidemiology, helping commissioners align to national guidance, evidence and best practice. We support the reduction of health inequalities by helping our clients ensure equity of access across large populations.
The value we bring
Credible solutions: Our work draws on the experience of our team of consultants in public health (medicine), researchers, and health intelligence specialists and is backed up by our operational experience of commissioning at national, regional and local levels.
Tailored support: We tailor our approach to provide the support appropriate to the specific needs of commissioners and the populations they serve - providing tailored evidence and support which are specific to local needs.
End-to-end service: We provide support across the whole commissioning cycle from initial needs assessment, patient pathway mapping including engagement of local clinicians, managers and patient groups, identification of evidence-based points for intervention, development of service specifications to establishing indicators for quality delivery, and auditing the outcome.
Services
Our work
