MANAGING COMMISSIONING AUTHORISATION
multi-commissioner commitment. The first wave initially included 35 commissioning groups, but NHS Liverpool CCG’s authorisation was deferred until the fourth and final wave, as it had made significant late changes to its commissioning arrangement. Some CCGs may also volunteer to have greater supervision, perhaps because they lack confidence in their ability to produce a plan which tackles the issues they are faced with.
“Other CCGs that may face greater scrutiny from the
board are those where there is to be a ‘major service reconfiguration’”
SECRETS TO SUCCESS
So what did the lucky few CCGs that passed with flying colours do that was so different to everybody else? And what can the remaining 26 learn from them? Primary Care Commissioning (PCC) asked the eight authorised groups what they thought they had that the others didn’t. When asked if they had any hints and tips for CCGs authorised with conditions, ‘good organisation’ and ‘attention to detail’ were some of the most commonly identified attributes. Alison Lee, chief officer of West Cheshire CCG, told PCC it was all down to employing the right manager. “Get yourself a highly-organised business manager,” she advised. “When we introduced ours to the former secretary of state, Andrew Lansley, he said that ‘everyone needs one of those’. Seriously though – supreme organisational skills really help.” Kate Gill, director of operations at NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney CCG, recommended “a clear focus on whether each of your areas of documentation meets each of the thresholds for each of the 119 criteria”. Dr Sarah Baker, chief clinical officer at Warrington CCG, another fully authorised group, said that it’s not only about the practical commissioning aspect, but how you can demonstrate your capabilities to the board on paper. She agrees that good managing skills are vital. “It is about documenting your governance,
policy and processes,” she says. “You need good paperwork – and use phrases that meet the larger requirements around those things. Have someone on your team that can present that detail.”
PCC also spoke to Somerset CCG, which said that the key to its success was building strong working links with its partners. The group’s chair, Dr David Rooke, said CCGs should “ensure that you are making the most of the links with the health and wellbeing board and [its] strategy. Develop your CCG’s view of how it can work with the local area team and the NHSCB”. He added that close relationships with the PCT cluster were also advantageous. Lee agrees that these relationships played a key part in the overall authorisation process and that keeping people in the loop helped. “Involve wider partners as much as possible – not only at the site visit but throughout the organisation,” she advises.
The NHSCB is said to be publishing further information for CCGs authorised with conditions within the next few months. ‘Support Planning, 2013/14 for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ can be downloaded from the commissioning board’s website
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