A review of the role and costs of clinical commissioning groups
This sets out the role, costs and performance of CCGs, the changing commissioning landscape and the future of CCGs.
18 Dec 2018
Government has commissioned many public services from commercial, charity or other public sector organisations as a way to meet the growing need for services, especially when budgets are getting smaller. This commissioning is happening in many sectors – especially health, local government, welfare, education, culture, media and sport, defence and justice. Successful commissions can result in more productive and efficient service delivery.
The growth in commissioning over recent years has created complex and long-term relationships. To ensure value for money, those organisations that are commissioning services must be clear about what they want to be delivered, they should have an open mind about solutions, be able to evaluate effectively and work well with the organisations delivering the service to ensure users' needs are met. They also need to know when and how to decommission services if they are no longer needed, or if needs, technology or approaches change.
Key NAO publications:
This sets out the role, costs and performance of CCGs, the changing commissioning landscape and the future of CCGs.
By operating in a more integrated way, government could reduce inefficiencies in public services and deliver a better service to citizens. A case study on the Whole-Place Community Budget pilots points to the potential benefits on offer where public services are integrated more effectively.
The Department for Education is not meeting its objectives to improve the quality of care and the stability of placements for children in care.
This guide provides practical advice on how to plan for and manage the decommissioning of public services delivered by civil society organisations (CSOs) and maintain value for money while doing so.
This report sets out the NAO’s assessment of the delivery of the electronic monitoring (‘tagging’) transformation programme.
This overview of the NAO’s work on the government’s management of contracting examines subjects including the government’s commercial capability, accountability and transparency, and its management of contracted-out service delivery.
If the government is serious about increasing its use of small and medium – sized enterprises (SMEs), it will need to focus on those areas where SMEs can deliver real benefits.
Challenging objectives for improving access to general practice have been set by the Department and NHS England, but a more coordinated approach and stronger incentives are needed.
In December 2015 a five year contract, worth around £800 million between UnitingCare Partnership and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough clinical commissioning group collapsed after only 8 months because it ran into financial difficulties. NAO examined the design, procurement and operation of the contract and the events that led to its termination.
Although new organisations set up as part of the reformed health system were ready to start functioning on time, the transition to the system is not yet complete.