Health and Social Care Bill

It incorporates much of the legislation needed to enact the changes as set out in the NHS White Paper: Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS and the corresponding consultations. The white paper aims to shift decision making as close as possible to patients and bring together the management of care and resources. Major changes include:

• Local consortia of GPs to take on responsibility for commissioning NHS services  
• autonomous NHS Commissioning Board to be set up to oversea GP-led commissioning
• public health responsibilities transferred from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to local authorities
• abolition of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs)
• NHS trusts to become foundation trusts
• hospitals encouraged to move outside the NHS to become social enterprises 
• increased patient choice, including choice of named consultant-led team for elective care and choice of
• treatment and provider in some mental health services from April 2011
• existing QIPP (quality, innovation, productivity and prevention) agenda devolved to emerging GP consortia or local authorities
• NHS information revolution including shared decision-making - 'nothing about me, without me'  
   

OTs will need to identify new local commissioners and promote themselves and their services

The Bill will have a significant impact on all OTs in England both in health and social care and will change the way that services are commissioned across the country. It is vital that occupational therapists engage with the consultation process and also keep themselves informed about the changes to legislation and process. 
 
Download the NHS White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117353 
 
Visit the UK Parliament website and read the Health and Social Care Bill
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmbills/132/11132.i-v.html 
 
Visit the UK Parliament website and review the progress of the Health and Social Care Bill
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/healthandsocialcare.html

Any Qualified Provider - What does it mean for occupational therapy?

 
The Government in England is extending the commissioning model called “Any Qualified Provider” to a new range of community services. It means that any provider (e.g. NHS, social enterprise, independent sector) can be in the “market place” for NHS patients as long as they meet certain standards and prices. Initially some OT services will come under this model and it is likely to spread further as the model rolls out. Patients will choose based on quality and individual preferences and money will follow patients’ choices. Competition will be on quality not price. Providers who become an AQP will sign a standard NHS contract and the service will be listed on Choose and Book (www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk).
 
Ensuring that you can clearly demonstrate therapy outcomes and increased uptake of Choose and Book will help prepare OT services. Being able to publicise and promote your work to the public will be important as patients will choose between different AQPs. For MDT services that move to AQP, OTs need to ensure your work is represented on the care pathways. Finally, OTs should think about discreet services that may be suitable for AQP that you could lead possibly with other allied health professions such as pain services, return to work and reablement. You will have to demonstrate that you can provide a service of high quality so that patients would choose one provider over another.
A map of AQP services is available at www.supply2health.nhs.uk/AQPResourceCentre

Any Qualified Provider plus Choose and Book - 21st March 2012

COT HQ- London - Free to BAOT members. 10am-1pm.
COT is running a free networking event for BAOT members which is aimed at those who are strategically placed in their organisations to prepare OT services for Any Qualified Provider in England and Choose and Book. Speakers from the Department of Health will explain what AQP and Choose and Book mean for OT services.
To book places email paul.jennings@cot.co.uk with “AQP event” in the title of the email , stating your BAOT number.
Please also see Feb OTN page 33 for more information. Flyer