16649 Commissioning Newspaper-A4_Layout 1 04/08/2015 15:48 Page 26
www.healthpluscare.com/commissioning
A REPORT FROM HEALTH +CARE BY THE NHS
STRATEGIC CLINICAL NETWORKS
Making a debut appearance
at the 2015 Health + Care, the
NHS Strategic Clinical
Networks and Clinical Senates
showcased how they are
enabling local and regional
improvements across England
via their regional networking
hub.
There was standing room only as the
NHS Strategic Clinical Networks and
Clinical Senates, in association with
the Academic Health Science
Networks, hosted presentations on
their stand sharing good practice
across clinical areas including:
cardiovascular health (including
cardiac, stroke, renal and diabetes);
maternity, children and young people;
mental health, dementia and
neurological conditions; and cancer.
Among
the
programme
of
presentations, Ian Vousden from the
South East Cancer Strategic Clinical
Network and Beth Capper from
Macmillan
showcased
the
forthcoming launch of a guide to
commissioning responsibilities and
accountability across the cancer care
pathway.
care
that
will
impact
on
commissioners as the NHS grapples
with increasing demand and a more
challenging financial landscape. To
achieve these aims will take closer
collaboration
and
“local
conversations”
to
define
responsibilities, added Ms Capper.
The joint guide for commissioners,
‘Commissioning cancer services –
who is responsible for what?’ aims to
bring some clarity to a disease that
may demand management in a
number of settings and which
involves a range of service
commissioners.
According to
Macmillan’s Beth Capper: “CCGs are
not aware of their cancer
commissioning responsibilities and
there are very few cancer
commissioning leads. CCGs want to
know: is cancer their responsibility or
not?”
Throughout the two days of the show,
team members from the two
organisations were on hand to
provide independent, strategic advice
and guidance to commissioners and
other stakeholders to assist them to
make the best decisions about
healthcare for their local populations.
The show’s two-day programme of
presentations was designed to share
tips and hints, and to encourage
innovation through best practicesharing from professionals in the
field.
In his section of the presentation, Mr
Vousden pointed out that the NHS
England Five Year Forward View is
one of several drivers of better cancer
Taking up the subject of improving
care pathways in mental health,
Geraldine Strathdee, national clinical
director, mental health, told visitors to
the Strategic Clinical Network and
Senate stand that her aim was to see
“a national army of mental health
commissioners” .
She told the audience that billions of
Pounds are spent unnecessarily on
mental health due to poor
identification and delayed care.
Proposing a new mental health crisis
concordat programme for England,
she challenged the NHS to answer
the question: “What are we going to
do to reverse the trend?”
The aim of the concordat is to
establis [