NHS Training

NHS Terminology and Useful Links

 

Below are web links to some of the organisations involved with NHS reforms:
NHS Choices website - identify the nearest GP practices
CareQuality Commission website - checks whether hospitals, care homes and care services
are meeting government standards
HealthWatch England website - makes sure that the views of the public and people who use
NHS services are taken into account. Website not yet live (November 2011)
NHS Leadership Framework website - details on the NHS leadership framework
NHS Commissioning Board Special Health Authority website - body holding local CCGs to
account
Department of Health website - NHS outcomes framework
UK Parliament website - current stage of Health and Social Care Bill 2010-11

 

 

Guide to NHS Terminology

 

This guide lists some of the new organisations that will emerge as a result of the Health and Social Care Bill 2010-2011. If you have any queries on new NHS terminology then please contact us at enquiries@righttrackuk.com and we will do our best to help.

 

Care Quality Commission
Body which checks all hospitals in England to ensure they are meeting government standards, and shares its findings with the public.

 

CCG
See Clinical Commissioning Groups

 

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
Known previously as GP Commissioning Consortia or GPCC. These are collections of GP practices, each representing typically 15 - 30 GP practices with 50,000 - 300,000 registered patients. Operating in "shadow" mode at the moment, after April 2013 they will be responsible for the commissioning of acute and other services for their patients. They will each be responsible for managing NHS budgets of circa £50 million - £300 million and will be approved by the NHS Commissioning Board. The governing board of each CCG consists almost exclusively of GP's. However, amendments to the Health Bill will require the addition of nursing and consulting representatives. It is also intended to include patient representatives in the form of "lay" members. Currently there are few formal lay members on existing pathfinder CCG boards as they are awaiting guidance from the Department Of Health on how lay members will be selected.

 

Commissioning Support Organisations
See Commissioning Support Units

 

Commissioning Support Units
These units, currently part of the PCTs, will provide the expertise to CCGs on how to commission services. After April 2013 when the PCTs are disbanded these operations are likely to either be absorbed by one or more CCGs or replaced by alternative providers.

 

Health and Social Care Bill
Bill introducing NHS reforms, sponsored by the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley. Currently at the Committee stage in the House of Lords (November 2011).

 

HealthWatch England
Body planned for launch in October 2012. Intended to play a role at both national and local level to make sure that the views of the public and people who use NHS services are taken into account. Local HealthWatch groups will be formed to take over the role of the Local Involvement Networks (LINks)

 

Local Involvement Networks (LINks)
Will be replaced by local HealthWatch groups after April 2013.

 

NHS Commissioning Board
Body established on 31 October 2011 to support and hold to account each of the local Clinical Commissioning Groups.

 

NHS Outcomes Framework
A key element of the NHS reforms is to switch the focus from process measures (eg waiting time to see a consultant) to outcome measures (eg reduction in under 75 mortality from respiratory disease). The NHS Outcomes Framework sets out the outcomes and corresponding indicators that will be used to hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for the outcomes it delivers through commissioning health services from 2012/13. The framework sets direction of travel in the journey towards improving outcomes, and offers an opportunity for the NHS to begin to understand what an NHS focussed on outcomes means for individuals, organisations and health economies.

 

PCT
See Primary Care Trusts

 

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs)
Currently manage the primary care services locally. In anticipation of the NHS reforms the 162 trusts have been combined into 62 PCT clusters. It is planned that all PCTs will be abolished in April 2013

 

Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs)
The 10 SHAs have recently been combined into 4 SHA clusters to manage the activities of PCTs. These are: NHS London, NHS North of England, NHS Midlands & East and NHS South of England. It is planned that all SHAs will be abolished in April 2013

 

As the Health and Social Care Bill 2010-2011 progresses, this page will be regularly updated with any new NHS terminology.