Commissioning guides - supporting clinical service redesign

The commissioning guides
Purpose of the commissioning guides
Who the commissioning guides are for
Using the commissioning guides
Accessing the commissioning guides
Latest tool news
More information
Patient and public involvement
Get involved in the development of NICE commissioning guides

The commissioning guides

NICE commissioning guides are topic-specific, web-based resources.

Each commissioning guide comprises a series of text-based web pages that signpost and provide topic-specific information on key clinical and service-related issues to consider during the commissioning process. Each guide contains a commissioning tool, which is an interactive resource that can be used to estimate and inform the level of service needed locally as well as the cost of local commissioning decisions.

Purpose of the commissioning guides

On a topic-specific basis, NICE commissioning guides:

• support general commissioning decisions on potential service reconfiguration in England
• support the commissioning of evidence-based care for patients
• assist financial modelling and costing by offering a commissioning tool to calculate and cost local service provision
• assist with the preparation of a business case
• provide a framework for investment decisions
• highlight and support relevant national priorities
• signpost NICE guidance and other relevant supporting information.

Who the commissioning guides are for

These guides are a useful resource for:

• clinical leads in primary care trusts (PCTs) and practice-based commissioning (PBC) practices or groupings
• commissioning staff in PCTs and PBC practices or groupings
• cluster/locality managers in PBC practices or groupings
• business managers
• finance and information staff.

They may also be of interest to:

• clinical networks
• individuals with responsibility for service provision.

Using the commissioning guides

The commissioning guides provide support for the local implementation of NICE clinical guidelines through commissioning, and are underpinned by NICE clinical guidelines. They do not constitute formal NICE guidance.

Each topic-specific commissioning guide should therefore be used in conjunction with the relevant NICE guidance and national guidance on commissioning. Read more about the standard commissioning cycle .

Commissioners should ensure that they consider both the clinical and economic viability of the commissioned service, 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.

The commissioning tool within each commissioning guide is designed to support, and is currently available to, strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and practices in England. For information governance reasons, registration is required to access the tools. Go to the commissioning tool page in any commissioning guide to register for access to all the available commissioning tools. Up to 10 people per organisation may register for access.

Commissioners may wish to share the outputs from their use of the commissioning tools with provider colleagues.

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

More information

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

• Department of Health. Commissioning section: contains guidance documents on commissioning arrangements in the NHS, including the 'Commissioning a patient-led NHS' programme, practice-based commissioning and specialised services. Finance and planning section: contains guidance documents on NHS and social care finances and planning, including payment by results the rules-based system for paying trusts, and the planning framework.
• 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 practice-based commissioning.
• Improvement Foundation: helps front-line staff to get more out of practice-based commissioning through a range of support initiatives, including development programmes, on-line resources, workshops and local learning exchanges.
• National Association of Primary Care: provides information and support to general practice, and its staff, on practice-based commissioning.
• Integrated Service Improvement Programme (ISIP): provides details of the integrated service improvement programme and how it can be used in the development of commissioning.