A new guide to sustainable commissioning has been published by Forum for the Future, CSH, and theNHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.
The guide and associated tools are aimed at Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) that want to deliver system-wide commissioning which will, as a consequence, lead to healthcare services that operate in a more sustainable way. Explicitly considering the wider system within which services are embedded and making improvements to services with a view to this broader context, will lead to more sustainable healthcare. The NHS needs to follow the lead that some large corporations such as Unilever and Marks & Spencer are successfully pursuing in this area.
Adopting the principles behind what is essentially a global change agenda, will strengthen the ability of CCGs to commission services and pathways that improve the quality of care, health outcomes and efficiency of services by making the best use of all resources that are available from both inside and outside the NHS.
Whilst the new structures within the NHS have yet to become fully operational, the current period of transition should be seen as a significant opportunity to change the way that things are done, rather than simply replicating what has gone before. The principles and tools outlined in this document reflect the latest thinking and approaches from both within the NHS but also take learning from the wider business community. They will be applicable whatever direction future healthcare commissioning may take.
Download the report from the Sustainable Commissioning network at: http://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/commissioning/resources
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