The guest editorial for October has been written by Mark Jennings, Senior Adviser to the Development for Commissioners Programme, NHS Institute, who presented on the topic Leading integration – the new commissioning challenge during the Expert on Call on 20th October 2011.  Follow this link to hear the recording of the session.

Leading integration – the new commissioning challenge

Working with leaders of the current system in PCTs and SHAs and with emerging leaders of the new system I have begun to hear a recurrent theme of them realising how complex the landscape of the new health and social care world will be. Whilst the new system will create many opportunities for improving care, it will be formed by a plethora of organisations, including clinical commissioning groups, clinical senates, the National Commissioning Board, health and well-being boards, GP practices, providers and regulators.

The key opportunity for commissioners is to use the new landscape of the NHS in a way that promotes integrated care at all levels of the system.

NHS Confederation Chief Executive, Mike Farrar has spoken  about it being essential for local health systems to jointly establish a ”core common purpose” early on, as a foundation upon which service improvement can be built. Clinical commissioning groups will be at the centre of forming these relationships with patients, the wider clinical community, local government and regulators to improve care and value.

Without these system wide relationships, commissioners will at best be able to marginally effect change The immediate pressures of delivering greater financial efficiency as part of the QIPP programme may have the effect of drawing clinical commissioning groups towards short-term fixes, but only by concentrating on building powerful new relationships as sound foundations for long-term 2nd order change will Clinical Commissioning Groups be able to integrate care and add enduring value for patients and the public.
Relationships are the key to successful commissioning and efficient integrated care.

As well as building the skills and competencies necessary for authorisation the NHS Institute's Development for Commissioners programme concentrates on supporting clinical commissioning groups to build and develop relationships and a shared integrated vision with other organisations and individuals across the local health and social care system.

Biography:

Originally qualified as a Charted Engineer, Mark has been an NHS Manager for over 25 years with experience at National, Health Authority and Trust levels including director of a major acute hospital.

Subsequently Mark held the role of National Lead for Clinical Systems Improvement with the NHS Modernisation Agency where he led the development of guidance and systems to help the NHS improve patient flow. He also led a Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit review focused on the patient journey through the emergency care system and Mark was a member of the Department of Health project team responsible for delivering the maximum 4-hour Accident & Emergency wait.

At the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement based at the University of Warwick Mark held the post of Priority Programme Director and was responsible for leading work focused on helping the NHS improve the quality, productivity and efficiency of care. His role includes publishing the NHS Better Care, Better Value Indicators and leading the Institute’s High Volume Care Programme.

Mark joined The King’s Fund in 2009 where he led the Health Care Improvement Directorate and the Quality in a Cold Climate Programme. In 2011 Mark established Oxyjenn Consulting and now works as an improvement consultant with NHS organisations at a local and national level.