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Commissioning specialised services
Delivering cost effective services that maximise health gains for the local community, including specialised services
Background
Specialised services are broadly defined as those with low patient numbers but which need a critical mass of patients to make treatment centres cost effective.
Particular challenges for specialised services include training specialist staff, supporting high quality research programmes, and making the best use of scarce resources such as expertise, high-tech equipment and donated organs.
Specialised services are subject to different commissioning arrangements from other NHS services. For more details about the new arrangements for commissioning specialised services please refer to:
Implementation plan
The implementation plan outlines progress made with the implementation of the Carter review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services.
National-level specialised commissioning agents
The National Specialised Commissioning Group (NSCG) and National Commissioning Group (NCG) have been established to oversee the commissioning of specialist services.
Specialised services definition set
The specialised services definitions were developed through national working groups (one for each service). They identify the activity that should be regarded as specialised and therefore subject to collaborative commissioning arrangements. The definitions provide a helpful basis for service reviews and strategic planning, and enable commissioners to establish a broad baseline position to make initial comparisons on activity and spend.
A review project for the third version of the definitions set is now underway. The initial eight revised definitions will be published on this site in early 2008.
Collaborative commissioning of National Screening Programmes
This best practice guidance sets out roles and responsibilities for the collaborative commissioning of National Screening Programmes, as recomended in Sir David Carter's review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services.
Additional links
Specialised services commissioning
Dedicated NHS website
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