Tracking accountability and money in the new health system – diagram

CCG_accountability

The King’s Fund published the above diagram as part of a report on Good Governance for Clinical Commissioning Groups (PDF) in the new health system. It’s one of the best diagrams we’ve seen so far explaining where accountability lies within the system, and funding. Click to see a full size version.

The whole report is worth reading for an insight into what the new groups are supposed to do, and how they are supposed to operate.

The King’s Fund also has a section on its website about the NHS reforms covering autonomy, accountability and democratic legitimacy, which provides some useful historical and other context.

The role of local councils in scrutinising clinical commissioning

A parliamentary written answer from Anna Soubry MP provides some useful information for those interested in the lines of accountability of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

In short, this involves consulting with the local authority’s health and wellbeing board, which in turn can report to the NHS Commissioning Board if it is not happy (which can in turn take action). The health and wellbeing board is also accountable itself to the local authority’s scrutiny committee, for which you can find details by adapting this search for your own local council site.

Here’s Anna Soubry’s answer in full: Continue reading

25 clinical commissioning-related accounts on Twitter

Twitter bird icon - CCG twitter links

Having previously identified 20 useful sources for CCG-related news, here are 25 Twitter accounts to follow if you want to know what’s happening with clinical commissioning: Continue reading

20 places to keep up to date on clinical commissioning and CCGs

RSS icon

Design by vectorarts.net

For our latest investigation into clinical commissioning (help still needed!) we’ve put together a starting list of 20 feeds to follow developments surrounding Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) – and we’ve put them together into one convenient bundle which you can follow with one click here (Google account needed). Can you suggest others?

Here they are: Continue reading

Volunteers needed! scrutinising CCGs

CCG structure image from BBC

This year a collection of new groups will be given responsibility for £60bn of public health spending in England: Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

With over 200 of these groups and very few health journalists in the UK there’s an opportunity for student journalists and concerned citizens to play a key role in understanding what CCGs do – and scrutinising their activities.

There are a number of potential avenues to explore, from concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the new arrangements, to issues of accountability, whistleblowing, and efficiency.

In partnership with a number of news organisations and universities, we’re building a network of journalists, students and citizens to start pulling together information, exchanging tips and leads, and pursuing questions in the public interest.

If you want to get involved, contact me on paul@helpmeinvestigate.com or add your name via the form here.

*image from the BBC