Commissioning Care Services for Older People

Achievements and challenges in London

Penny Banks
June 2005 | ISBN 978 1 85717 492 2 | 22 pages | £5.00

What services are available to older people is determined to a large extent by how care is commissioned locally. This paper examines how care is being commissioned in six London boroughs, and how local authorities are working with their primary care trust partners, to transform the mix of services on offer. It shows how service users are involved, and assesses the extent which commissioners understand and manage the market and respond to need. It also highlights factors that are helping or hindering commissioning practice across the capital.