World Class Commissioning (WCC) is the aim and framework for commissioners that describes the vision, system of assurance, 11 competencies and a support and development framework.
New WCC video available from DH England (September 2009) at www.youtube.com/wcccomms
Vision: World class commissioning will deliver better health and well-being for all:
- People will live healthier and longer lives
- Health inequalities will be dramatically reduced.
It will deliver better care for all:
- Services will be evidence-based and of the best quality
- People will have choice and control over the services that they use, so they become more personalised.
It will deliver better value for all:
- Investment decisions will be made in an informed and considered way, ensuring that improvements are delivered within availableresources
- PCTs will work with others to optimise effective care.
There are eleven World Class Commissioning competencies
- lead the NHS at a local level
- work collaboratively with partners
- engage with the community
- work closely with clinicians
- manage knowledge and assess needs
- prioritise for improved outcomes (added September 2009 in line with different financial scenarios )
- influence and shape the market
- promote innovation and improvement
- procure robust contracts
- support and manage providers
- ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of spend (added September 2009)
A new assurance system has been developed with the aim of having a similar approach and style to Monitor that leads the assurance programme for Foundation Trusts. It will be managed by strategic health authorities SHAs that will hold PCTs to account for their performance, reward good performance and ensure health outcomes are improving. It will measure 3 dimensions:
- health outcomes
- competencies
- governance
It will also include an assessment of the PCT's potential for improvement. These will be reviewed through a combination of self assessment, self certification, data and evidence review, feedback from partners and interviews at the panel day. SHAs manage the assurance process. From 2009/10 DH will publish calibrated ratings.
The commissioning assurance process has five stages:
- PCT data gathering and preparation
- Preparation for the panel day
- Panel day
- National calibration of results
- Follow-up.
There is a Year 2 handbook and further information available to download from here
For keeping up to date with news, the best place is the monthly update from the Director of Commissioning, Gary Belfield.
The assurance process will be complemented by two other processes: the Care Quality Commission regulation for health and adult social care with a focus on safety and quality standards, and the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) that will assess outcomes delivered by councils working alone or in partnership with healthcare organisatios. The DH role is to ensure that the regulation, CAA and commissioning assurance work together and are not unecessarily burdensome on PCTs.
New DH World Class Commissioning support and development website.