The range of perks that will eventually be on offer to the best performing commissioners is still being hammered out by the Department of Health and the Treasury.

NHS director general for commissioning and system management
Mark Britnell told HSJ: “There are five or six freedoms primary care
trusts have asked for – we’re continuing to work with ministers and the Treasury.”

The DH is hoping to conclude negotiations on next year’s assurance
system by April or May.

HSJ understands one possibility is preferential access to organisational development funds for elite PCTs.

Last September the NHS Confederation proposed several freedoms
to the DH, including the chance to set senior managers’ pay, lighter
touch scrutiny by strategic health authorities and permission to run
three to five year financial cycles.

PCT Network director David Stout said: “A lot of the freedoms
we came up with are probably freedoms you’d want for all PCTs to
enable them to succeed.”

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