More information about the commissioning guides

• Using the commissioning guides
• Latest commissioning and benchmarking tool news
• More information about commissioning in the NHS
• Patient and public involvement
• Join the Commissioner Reference Panel

Purpose of the commissioning guides

On a topic-specific basis, NICE commissioning guides:

• provide support for the local implementation of NICE guidance through commissioning
• support commissioners with QIPP priorities and signpost to case examples
• support general commissioning decisions on potential service reconfiguration
• support the commissioning of high quality, evidence-based care for patients
• provide an interactive commissioning and benchmarking tool to help calculate and cost local service provision and identify cost savings
• assist with the preparation of a business case
• highlight and support relevant national priorities
• signpost NICE guidance and NICE Quality Standards and other relevant supporting information.

Making commissioning decisions based on NICE guidance and accredited information from NHS Evidence can help commissioners ensure they are using their resources effectively.

Who the commissioning guides are for

These guides are a useful resource for:

• commissioning staff within PCTs
• GP pathfinder organisations and GP Consortia as they emerge
• local authority commissioners
• business and programme managers
• finance and information staff.

They may also be of interest to:

• clinical networks
• providers of health and social care services.

Using the commissioning guides

The commissioning guides provide support for the local implementation of NICE clinical guidelines, public health guidance, NICE technology appraisals and achievement of NICE Quality standards through commissioning. They do not constitute formal NICE guidance.

Each topic-specific commissioning guide should therefore be used in conjunction with the relevant NICE guidance and current national guidance on commissioning.

Commissioners should ensure that they consider both the clinical and economic viability of commissioned services, and any related services, and take into account patients´ views when making commissioning decisions.

We are keen to improve the commissioning guides in order to better meet the needs of commissioners. Please send us your ideas for future topic-specific guides or other comments.

Accessing the commissioning guides

The commissioning guides are accessed from the NICE website. See currently available commissioning guides and future programme topics.

All commissioning guides are accompanied by a commissioning and benchmarking tool to help users to estimate and inform the level of service needed locally as well as the cost of local commissioning decisions. These are spreadsheets and are freely available to download. Users can also download their own up-to-date data into the commissioning and benchmarking tools and, where this is the case, data specifications and user notes are provided to help.

Read the NICE disclaimer for information on the use and accuracy of content on the NICE website.

More information about commissioning in the NHS

Relevant documentation and support for standard approaches to commissioning in the NHS can be found at the following websites:

• Department of Health. Finance and planning section: contains guidance documents on NHS and social care finances and planning and the NHS operating framework for 2011/12. Liberating the NHS: legislative framework and next steps and The NHS outcomes framework: 2011/12
• NHS Evidence: provides free access to clinical and non-clinical information - local, regional, national and international and includes specialist collections - see NHS Evidence - Commissioning. See also the QIPP library.
• NHS Confederation: highlights information and provides support relevant to the wider commissioning agenda.
• NHS Alliance: provides information in relation to commissioning from both the purchaser and provider perspectives.
• NHS Primary Care Contracting: covers the latest developments in commissioning.
• National Association of Primary Care: provides information and support to general practice, and its staff, on commissioning.
• NHS networks: learning from practice database offers examples of innovative commissioning across the NHS and its partners and includes a QIPP network.
• NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement support for commissioners includes the RCGP Centre for commissioning and commissioning for health improvement products.