Emergent regional organisations to provide GP commissioning support services are struggling to meet the assessment criteria, with three out of 26 failing outright.
Another nine CSS plans are said to need “rigorous management”.
Of 26 CSS organisations, only 14 robustly met all three of the NHS Commissioning Board’s criteria: quality of leadership, business plans and focus on CCG customers.
CSS plans for West Mercia and the Devon and Cornwall peninsula have been scrapped, together with plans involving a national communications service, after satisfying none or only one of the criteria.
The following regional plans only “marginally” passed the Board’s tests, and will be developed further by the Board’s business development unit:
Greater East Midlands
Greater Manchester
Cumbria & Lancashire
Birmingham & the Black Country
Essex
South London
Surrey & Sussex
Central Southern (Bucks, Oxon, Berks, Gloucs, Swindon)
Hertfordshire
The NHS Commissioning Board commented that for the rejected CSS structures, “robust plans” would be put in place “to ensure that CCGs have confidence in their commissioning support arrangements and that they can choose the best service that meets their needs.
“In these cases, it is clear that there will still be a significant need for locally-based staff to deliver support services to CCGs and that the main impact will be to senior management arrangements and organisation shape rather than to the roles that are available to NHS staff.”
The nine CSS organisations said to have significant weaknesses would be developed through “rigorous management”, the Board said, emphasising that all CCGs must have CSS arrangements in place when they apply for authorisation.
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