Guidance: A new approach to supporting community healthcare funding testing and guidance

Published by NHS England and NHS Improvement, the document sets out the process for testing the new draft currencies developed as part of the Community Currency Development Project.   It includes information on children with complex needs/disabilities, and those who will be transitioning to adult services.  May 2019.

Available to download

Report: The NHS Long Term Plan - 5 things you need to know

From the Think Tank - The Kings Fund, an analysis of the NHS 10 year plan, summing up the key points and areas to be aware of.  Relevant for both NHS and voluntary organisations.

Read more here

News piece: Hospice and palliative care charities respond to the NHS Long Term Plan

A response in Hospice UK's eHospice on the NHS Long Term Plan.  It includes a response from Hospice UK and Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives Andy Fletcher.

Read more here

Report: Commissioner perspectives on working with voluntary, community and social enterprise sector

Published February 2017 by the Kings Fund, the research was commissioned by the Department of Health to explore how and why clinical commissioning groups chose to engage with the voluntary sector.  It presents the findings on the factors that underpin the adoption of different approaches and discusses how commissioners' perceptions of their own strategic role, and their views on what role the voluntary sector plays in the local area.

Full report

Key message from the report

Report: Commissioning Children's Palliative Care in England

The report sets out what Together for Short Lives found as a result of a series of freedom of information (FOIs) requests to local authorities and NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).  It sought to establish how well these organisations are planning, funding and monitoring care for children with life-limiting conditions.  From the findings, the local authorities and CCGs are rated by different aspects of care, including end of life care, short break care, and bereavement care.

Together for Short Lives, June 2016. Commissioning children's palliative care in England: the results of Together for Short Lives' freedom of information requests of NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities in England.

Click here to download

Briefing: Health devolution in England - what it means for hospice services

Produced by Hospice UK, the briefing summaries the main developments regarding the devolution of health to local government in England, and the associated NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans.  It highlights the actions hospices can take to engage and influence decision makers to ensure planning and commissioning of services address their sector.

Hospice UK, July 2016.  Health devolution in England: briefing

Contact the library for a copy

Report: Influencing Locally: A Toolkit For Hospices

The toolkit has been produced to support hospices to identify and build relationships locally, and to raise awareness and influence key statutory bodies to ensure that hospice care is on the agenda of local decision makers. The guide provides information on local health and well being boards, clinical commissioning groups, and includes a "how to influence" section.

Hospice UK, 2016.  Influencing locally: a toolkit for hospices in England. Hospice UK.

Copy available from the library

Survey: The Commissioning of Hospice Care in England in 2015

Between April and May 2015, Help the Hospices undertook a survey of member hospices to establish a picture of how NHS commissioning arrangements were impacting on hospice funding.  The report identifies a number of concerns, including increasing complexity in the commissioning environment, ongoing uncertainty around the sustainability of statutory funding, and continuing funding cuts and frozen budgets.  The report recommends a series of actions for government, NHS England, CCGs and local authorities.

Help the Hospices, July 2014.  The Commissioning of Hospice Care in England in 2014/2015. Help the Hospices.

To download the report click here

Guidance: The tendering process for NHS services in England: a short guide for health professionals tendering for services

This publication acts as a short guide for health professionals who are new to the process of tendering for services in the NHS. It explains the processes in each of the key stages and provides tips on what to consider at each stage.

Royal College of Nursing, 2013.  The tendering process for NHS services in England: a short guide for health professionals tendering for services.  RCN.

Available on loan from the library or download here

Guidance: Commissioning for children's palliative care: a guide for clinical commissioning groups (CCG's)

This is a concise, 5 page document for all CCG's describing the population of children who need palliative care; the services and professionals who provide it; and how children's palliative care shoudl be commissioned within the context of the 5 stages of commissioning set out by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

Together for Short Lives, 2013.  Commissioning for children's palliative care: a guide for clinical commissioning groups. 

Available to download here

Commissioning: Hospices in the UK are losing out under complex new commissioning and contracting arrangement [article]

In April of this year the Health and Social Care Act 2012 came into effect, leading to the abolition of Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities and the creation of a raft of new structures, including Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). Help the Hospices carried out a survey earlier this year to understand how the new structural changes bought in on April 1 2013 were affecting local charitable hospices.

Ellis, J. 2013. Hospices in the UK are losing out under complex new commissioning and contracting arrangement. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 19 (7) p 318 - 319.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library