A consultation on the draft mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board
Overview
The new NHS Commissioning Board will oversee the way that over £80 billion of taxpayers’ money is spent to secure NHS services for the people of England.
The mandate is one of the most important ways for the Government to set objectives for the Board, but it is just one part of a broader relationship through which the Secretary of State will hold the Board to account for its performance. Ministers will continue to be accountable overall for the health service as a whole.
Why We Are Consulting
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the Government must set objectives for the Board in a “mandate”, which must be updated every year, following consultation. In order to provide stability for the NHS, the mandate can only be changed mid-year in limited circumstances.
The mandate is one of the most important ways for the Government to set objectives for the Board, but it is just one part of a broader relationship through which the Secretary of State will hold the Board to account for its performance. Ministers will continue to be accountable overall for the health service as a whole.
We have now published:
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a draft of the first mandate, informed by what we have heard through previous consultations, debates in Parliament and discussions with stakeholders;
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annexes to the draft mandate, including a draft “choice framework” which illustrates the Government’s intended approach to explaining the choices that will be available for people using NHS services in England; and
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this consultation document, which explains the approach we have taken to developing the mandate.
Following consultation, we will publish a final mandate in the autumn, ready to come into force from April 2013.
Meanwhile, we are also publishing the Secretary of State’s first report on the effect of the NHS Constitution. The Constitution and the mandate both set out what is expected of the NHS, but they have distinct roles:
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The mandate is a formal accountability document setting objectives for the Board. It is primarily about the Government’s ambitions for improving NHS services in future. Future mandates will evolve as objectives are achieved and new priorities emerge.
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By contrast, the NHS Constitution is an enduring document, which sets out the principles and values of the NHS and the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff. It describes what everyone can expect from the NHS now, and it is about the NHS as a whole – patients, public and staff – not just commissioners.
The NHS Commissioning Board will be established on 1 October 2012. The NHS Commissioning Board Authority, a Special Health Authority set up to prepare for the establishment of the Board, is being abolished at the same time as the Board is created.
What Happens Next
Following consultation, we will publish a final mandate in the autumn, ready to come into force from April 2013.