at the annual Practice Managers Conference in Suffolk, today, Gary Belfield, associate partner at KPMG Management Consulting, highlighted seven steps to demonstrate why Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) can flourish, once they begin work in April 2013. His comments came in an address in which he warned that CCGs needed time and space to develop before they became excellent commissioners of healthcare.
Belfield said: “It’s something of an understatement to say that the advent of CCGs has polarised opinions, but whether viewed with anticipation or trepidation, they must be given every chance to succeed. Assuming control of a healthcare budget of £64 billion is a huge responsibility and it comes with more than the usual challenges of change – but these can all be met with a consistent and transparent approach to healthcare decisions.
“I worry that the pressure on the CCG clinical board members is significant and the succession planning to ‘spread the load’ is not yet in place. The more advanced CCGs have shown that they can link Practices together to share the commissioning decision making. This will, in my view, bring long term success for the CCG.”
“It means that today’s Practice Manager has a critical role to play. They can prevent an unwarranted variation in practice by partnering with neighbouring CCGs, sharing critical information and engaging in peer review programmes. It’s all about setting clear expectations and having demonstrable measures to ensure equality in the way CCGs are held to account.
“Ultimately the key will be in how the power of CCGs is made to work for patients. A relentless focus on priorities that are consistent across every CCG and maximise the effectiveness of every NHS pound is a good place to start.”
Ends
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Mike Petrook, KPMG Press Office
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Notes to Editors:
About KPMG
KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and operates from 22 offices across the UK with over 11,000 partners and staff. The UK firm recorded a turnover of £1.7 billion in the year ended September 2011. KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. We operate in 152 countries and have 145,000 professionals working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. KPMG International provides no client services.
