Non-executive directors (NEDs) have an important role in shaping and challenging strategy. These documents are useful reference points for NEDs of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
Audit Commission
The right result? Payment by Results 2003/07 - February 2008
Audit Commission report examining the impact of four years of Payment by Results (PbR) in the NHS.
PbR Assurance Framework 2007/08: Findings from the first year of the national clinical coding audit programme - August 2008
Audit Commission report highlighting the findings and national trends from the first year of clinical coding audits under the PbR data assurance framework.
Findings for local provider trusts are available in our PbR pages.
Taking it on trust: A review of how boards of NHS trusts and foundation trusts get their assurance - April 2009
The report reviews the rigour with which boards of NHS trusts and foundation trusts operate the governance structures and processes to assure themselves that their organisation is operating effectively and meeting their strategic objectives. It includes recommendations for government and trusts as well as questions for board members to ask themselves about their current arrangements.
Putting commissioning into practice: Implementing practice based commissioning through good financial management - November 2007
Audit Commission report considering whether practice based commissioning (PBC) is working. As well as key findings, the report explores the barriers to effective implementation of PBC and includes case study examples of solutions and notable practice, recommendations and prospects for the future.
A prescription for partnership: Engaging clinicians in financial management - December 2007
Audit Commission report examining the challenges and notable practices (including service line reporting), based on interviews at 16 sites and aimed at clinicians, managers and finance professionals working within the NHS and trust boards.
The report includes a checklist for chief executives, finance directors and medical directors.
Clinicians and finance: Improving patient care - February 2009
This is a joint statement by the Audit Commission, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Department of Health, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and the Royal College of Nursing, highlighting the importance of clinicians’ involvement in financial management to further improve the quality of care for patients. It outlines the work of these organisations in supporting this ongoing campaign.
Joint financing across health and social care - December 2008
A briefing that demystifies pooled funds and Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 and reviews the current range of joint financing arrangements between NHS bodies and local authorities across health and social care.
Use of resources 2008/09 - Overall approach and key lines of enquiry (PDF, 137Kb) - May 2008
In future, PCTs will no longer be assessed under the Auditor's Local Evaluation (ALE) but through the new use of resources (UoR) assessment. This document sets out the Audit Commission's approach to auditors' use of resources work from 2008/09. The use of resources assessment forms part of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment from 2009.
Comprehensive Area Assessment final framework - February 2009
Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) is the new framework for the independent assessment of local public services in England. This document sets out how CAA will be delivered from April 2009.
Financial Health news from the Audit Commission - Summer 2008
Financial Health news from the Audit Commission - Autumn 2008
Financial Health news from the Audit Commission - Spring 2009
The Audit Commission's Financial Health News (FHN) provides health sector professionals with essential financial health management information, updates on our current work and our national reports. Readers will also find editorials about our audit work with PCTs.
Audit Commission + Healthcare Commission joint publications
Is the Treatment Working? - Progress with the NHS System Reform Programme - June 2008
Joint report by the Audit Commission and the Healthcare Commission reviewing the progress made with the NHS System Reform Programme first set out in the NHS Plan of 2000.
Department of Health
The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2009/10 (external link) - December 2008
The operating framework sets out a brief overview of the priorities for the NHS for 2009/10. It is accompanied by annexes which provide more detail on the priorities, how they are measured and how the new arrangements for managing the system will work. These annexes include details of the 2009/10 and 2010/11 PCT revenue allocations.
The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2008/09 (external link) - December 2007
The Department of Health's priorities for the NHS in 2008/09.
High quality care for all: NHS Next Stage Review final report (external link) - June 2008
Darzi final report setting out a 10 year vision for the NHS.
World Class Commissioning: Vision, competencies and assurance system (external link) - December 2007
The four elements of the World Class Commissioning programme - the vision, a set of competencies, an assurance system and a support and development framework.
Health Profiles 2008 (external link) - June 2008
Health Profiles provide a snapshot of health for each local area in England using key health indicators, which enables comparison locally, regionally and over time. They are designed to help local councils and the NHS decide where to target resources to tackle health inequalities in their local area.
Transforming community services: Enabling new patterns of provision (external link) - January 2009
This enabling guidance is intended to help PCT providers of community services to move their relationship with their commissioners to a purely contractual one, consider what type(s) of organisations would best meet the future needs of patients and local communities, and how change can be managed to support the transformation of services to patients.