Commissioning

Beacon theme on strategic commissioning
Strategic commissioning is about taking a whole system and strategic approach to delivering positive outcomes for communities. The Beacon Scheme was set up to award and share best practice in service delivery across local government. Strategic commissioning is one of twelve themes representing issues which are important in the day-to-day lives of the public and reflecting key government priorities. Primary Care Trusts are eligible to receive Beacon status where they have been working in partnership with the successful beacon authority(ies) eg councils, police, and rescue authorities for example. The application brochure will be published on 4th March on the Beacons website. The brochure will set out the application criteria for the theme alongside other information to help you complete your application. The closing date for applications will be 5pm on Friday 29th June 2008. The Improvement and Development Agency who manages the scheme will be hosting a series of regional briefings:

South East and London – 10th March 2008 – London
Yorkshire and Humber – 10th March 2008 – Leeds
East Midlands – 11th March 2008 – Nottingham
North West – 11th March 2008 – Wigan
West Midlands – 12th March 2008 – Birmingham
North East – 12th March 2008 – Newcastle
South West – 13th March 2008 – Exeter
East of England – 13th March 2008 - Cambridge

You can reserve a place for these briefings, either by visiting the Beacons website or emailing Beacons, stating clearly in the subject line Regional Briefing and the Region Name. Your email should clearly state the names of the person/people that your authority wishes to attend the briefing and note any special requirements, eg dietary, accessibility.

The right result? Payment by Results 2003-07
The Audit Commission has published this report which examines the experience of the NHS with Payment by Results (PbR) since it was introduced. The report draws on recent experience, looking at how PbR has affected the NHS and in turn how the NHS has responded. The authors consider the future direction of PbR and the challenges to the NHS over the period 2010/2011 based on the recent Department of Health consultation. Click here to read the report.