Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Section 1 Core knowledge
- Section 2 Core skills
- Section 3 Important bodies
- Section 4 Information, evidence and research
- Section 5 Money
- Chapter 28 NHS financial flows
- Chapter 29 The contract
- Chapter 30 The quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) agenda
- Chapter 31 The budget
- Chapter 32 Writing a business plan
- Section 6 NHS structures
- Section 7 Operations
- Section 8 Safety and quality
- Section 9 Staff issues
- Index
Chapter 29 - The contract
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Section 1 Core knowledge
- Section 2 Core skills
- Section 3 Important bodies
- Section 4 Information, evidence and research
- Section 5 Money
- Chapter 28 NHS financial flows
- Chapter 29 The contract
- Chapter 30 The quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) agenda
- Chapter 31 The budget
- Chapter 32 Writing a business plan
- Section 6 NHS structures
- Section 7 Operations
- Section 8 Safety and quality
- Section 9 Staff issues
- Index
Summary
Those responsible for buying care on behalf of the community, the commissioners, follow Department of Health guidance in drawing up a contract for the care to be delivered. The providers have to satisfy the contract. There are inherent tensions in this, since demand for care from the population may exceed the commissioners' budget and clinicians want to introduce new approaches which may not be on the commissioners' priority list.
The financial agreement
Each year in the autumn, commissioners and trusts discuss anticipated activity and possible new service developments for the forthcoming financial year. By midwinter a detailed contract has been written and the trusts are expected to sign their agreement to the contract. This drives the internal budget of the provider and over the financial year there are regular contract monitoring meetings to ensure that delivery occurs.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Management Essentials for Doctors , pp. 88 - 91Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011