Op2i whitepaper on the NHS Reforms and the urgent need for the implementation of Joint Governance

Feb. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- This whitepaper raises some important questions and provides guidance on how an appropriate joint strategic governance framework can help deliver on what is a radical and complex set of reforms, with consequences for getting it wrong being massive, if not life threatening, certainty career limiting for those involved and those evangelising the reforms.

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will be responsible for approximately 60% of the NHS spend from 2013 onwards – assuming the reforms the Government is trying to push through gets Royal Accent. This is a significant responsibility for relatively new organisations and inexperienced leaders of what will be publicly accountable bodies. Good governance will need to be at the heart of CCGs.

The underlying idea that commissioning must be driven by clinical assessment is self evident, however how this will translate at the macro level, where decisions need to be taken which encompass more than just the clinical assessment is unclear.
GPs appear to have acknowledged that they nether have the skills or the desire to manage the commissioning elements of healthcare. Most have spent their entire careers within the bureaucratic boundaries of the NHS, most have not had to worry about budgets and almost none have had to consider wider elements of governance. Difficult commissioning decisions could always be deflected towards the local PCT trust and NICE.

In this new environment, the CCGs need to engage the local population to assess and prioritise “needs”, work proactively with local authorities to deliver an integrated programme, rebalance resources and effort put towards prevention rather than just cure. All this must be done under the scrutiny of central government, local authorities, health watch dogs, local patients and sceptical politicians. However, unless the root cause of ineffective commissioning is addressed, this new transformation may actually do more damage than good – to patients, to GPs and to the political masters pushing this new vision.

Dr Bharat Vagadia, Director of Op2i commented “Good Joint Governance will need to be central to the working and delivery of a complex web of stakeholders, differing priorities and where the scope of conflict and failure can have serious short and long term consequences. The requirement of real time oversight and insight across the organisations, the infusion or a robust decision making process and risk management practices and the transparency and auditablility that is required of a public body are just some of the issues that must be central to the implementation of the NHS reforms”.

ENDS

About Op2i
Op2i provides Strategic Business Advisory Services in Business Transformation, Sourcing and Strategic Governance.
We support our clients in developing, structuring and executing business programmes that help transform their operations by making the right strategy, supplier and technology decisions through the provision of strategic insight and the implementation of strategic governance that enhances their competitive advantage through the delivery of auditable board-sponsored or C-level led strategic initiatives
www.Op2i.com


For more information contact: Dr Bharat Vagadia
Op2i Ltd
Tel: +44 (0) 207 193 4339
Email: PressOffice@Op2i.com
www.Op2i.com

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Op2i provides Strategic Business Advisory Services in Business Transformation, Sourcing and Strategic Governance with the provision of strategic governance tools - e.g.http:// www.GovernanceDirector.com