NHS England Board meeting, 25 February 2016

Papers available here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/02/board-meet-25-feb-16/

Video available here: 

Agenda

• Item 1: Board meeting agenda
• Item 2: Minutes of meeting held on 28 January 2015
• Item 3: Chief Executive’s Report – verbal
• Item 4: Cancer Drugs Fund
• Item 5: Mental Health Taskforce
• Item 6: Performance report
• Item 7: Finance Report
• Item 8a: Commissioning Committee report
• Item 8b: Investment Committee update

Highlights:

3. Chief Executive’s report - verbal

GP contract for 2016/17  - an additional comprehensive support package will be available in 6-8 weeks.

4: Cancer Drugs Fund

Analysis of responses to the consultation on the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) identified three themes:

1. Support for managed process – entry and exit.

2. A need for clarity on operational detail

3. Reassurance around transition to the new CDF.

All new cancer drugs will be assessed by NICE. Where there is uncertainty drugs will be candidates for the CDF and when sufficient data has been collected for a final appraisal there will be a decision on whether the drug will be available for NHS use. NICE will have to work quicker to produce draft guidance before marketing authorisation, with final guidance within 90 days.

The old DCF will close 1 April 2016 and the new CDF will start 1 July 2016. Drugs on the old CDF will be rolled over until the appraisal process is complete.

Responses to Questions

•               All current patients will continue to get drugs under the new CDF.

•               The CDF will inform the Accelerated Access Review 

•               The new CDF will be better for patients in that it will give faster access and clarity over effectiveness of drugs. It will be more flexible with clear entry and exit.

•               There has been assurance from NICE around their capacity and resourcing to meet the requirements.

5: Mental Health Taskforce

The new Mental Health Strategy (see The Five Year Forward View For Mental Health  ) includes 60 recommendations and aims to address deep seated differences in approaches to mental and physical health. It proposes a three-pronged approach to improving care through promotion of good mental health, the expansion of mental health care such as seven day access in a crisis, and integrated physical and mental health care.

The Implementation programme board will manage a three year programme. The Business plan is expected 31 March 2016.

The CCG implementation and assessment framework will include indicators on mental health, and require updated reporting arrangements. Baseline data for the 44 new STP footprint areas will be available in the next 2 months.

Every CCG will be asked to prove that spend meets parity of esteem standards.

Sub-national implementation structures (p5)

Appendix 1: Full recommendations:

Those affecting CCGs include:

•               Trialling population based budgets: NHS England should ensure that by April 2017 population-based budgets are in place which give CCGs or other local partners the opportunity to collaboratively commission the majority of specialised services across the life course.

•               CCG inequalities funding:  NHS England should disaggregate the inequalities adjustment from the baseline funding allocation for CCGs and Primary Care, making the value of this adjustment more visible and requiring areas to publicly report on how they are addressing unmet mental health need and mental health inequalities.

•               Trialling acute care models or 16-25s: Work with CCGs and other partners to develop and trial a new model of acute inpatient care for young adults aged 16–25 in 2016, working with vanguard sites.

•               Greater transparency : The CCG Performance and Assessment Framework should include a robust basket of indicators to provide a clear picture of the quality of commissioning for mental health. To complement this, NHS England should lead work on producing a Mental Health FYFV Dashboard by the summer of 2016 that identifies metrics for monitoring key performance and outcomes data that will allow us to hold national and local bodies to account for implementing this strategy.

•               CCG transparency: CCGs to publish data on levels of mental health spend in their Annual Report and Accounts, by condition and per capita, including for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, from 2017/18 onwards.

7: Finance Report

Patient Safety function of NHS England is transferring to NHS Improvement from 1 April 2016.

8a: Commissioning Committee report 27/1/16

“The Committee noted that efforts towards CSU autonomy were put on hold while CSUs focussed on becoming accredited under the Lead Provider Framework and securing contracts over multiple years. There are some important practical issues that need to be resolved, including assurance processes and access to working capital. The NHS England CSU team will continue to work to develop proposals to address these issues.”

“The Committee noted progress and agreed the next steps for the work undertaken by the newly formed Personalisation and Choice team, which brings together the personal health budgets, Integrated Personal Commissioning, and patient choice teams.”

“Committee heard that roll-out plans for the RightCare have been accelerated and will now be implemented across the country faster than originally planned. To support CCGs there are a number of upcoming regional events, and a newly designed ‘commissioning for value’ pack has been developed and circulated. Additionally, an ‘Atlas of Variation Opportunities Locator tool’ has been developed, which illustrates to every CCG what opportunity they have to improve performance, what the population health gain would be from that, and what national experts advise to effect the required changes”

Date of Next NHS England Board meeting: 31 March 2016