Government reveals ‘historic’ first mandate

The document sets the priorities and funding for the independent health service, run the by the NHS Commissioning Board, for two years.

See HSJ’s full analysis of the mandate revealing:

• How the mandate does not include specific targets for numeric improvement, which appears to allow leeway for clinical commissioning groups’ freedom. However, some old style targets remain.
• The mandate requires the commissioning board to guarantee CCG autonomy.
• How the mandate has rejected the use of fixed national targets in order to avoid perverse incentives.
• Providers will be judged on integration and deaths from poor care.
• A information technology revolution will take place.
• How the DH has earmarked £2bn for the running costs of the new commissioning system.
• Hospitals with good scores under the friends and family test “will be financially rewarded”.
• DH earmarks £2bn for commissioning system running cost.
• NHS managers, doctors and nurses can expect to be put under greater scrutiny over the next two years in order to ensure better and safer care for patients. The mandate makes repeated references to the NHS needing to become one the best health services in the world in terms of patient outcomes.
• Providers of NHS mental health services could be expected to meet new waiting time standards to drive improvements in access.