NHS Clinical Commissioners to appraise NHS CB

NHS Clinical Commissioners (NHS CC) has announced it is to carry out 360 degree yearly appraisals of the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB).
 
The organisation – made up of the NHS Alliance, National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) and the NHS Confederation – will collect appraisals from each clinical commissioning group (CCG) on the NHS CB and local office.
 
All appraisals will form an annual national report, which will be shared with the Board and published with recommendations on how relationships can be improved.
 
Speaking at the NHS Alliance conference in Bournemouth yesterday (21 November), interim NHS CC president Dr Michael Dixon, said the move will ensure “there is no ‘same old’ in the relationship between the centre and the new clinical commissioners and there will be no reversion in type for the NHS CB to change from ‘grand protector’ to ‘grand inquisitor’.”
 
Ian Dalton, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive of the NHS CB, said the Board “was absolutely up for mutual accountability” and insisted although the organisation will not go through a formal authorisation process, unlike CCGs, “the rigour is there”.
 
“Everything we ask of our CCGs, we will ask of our commissioning arm,” he said.