Commissioning and contracting for integrated care

Read the final report

Our report describes how clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England have been innovating with two broad models – the prime contract and alliance contract.

It draws on experiences from five geographical areas, covering different population and disease groups (cancer, end-of-life care, musculoskeletal services, mental health rehabilitation, and older people’s services).

Read the report: Commissioning and contracting for integrated care

What were we doing in this project?

The project had three core objectives:

describe and extract lessons from innovative approaches to commissioning and contracting
examine emerging lessons, challenges and enablers around the adoption (both design and procurement) of these models for delivering integrated care
identify the support needed (at a local and national level) to facilitate further development and overcome identified challenges.

Why were we interested in this project?

Previous work by The King’s Fund has argued for the important role that commissioning and contracting can play in stimulating new models of integrated care. Locally, there have been some efforts to develop such innovations and there is increasing interest across the country.

However, some initiatives to commission and contract for integrated care have encountered a number of barriers. It is vital that commissioners and providers can work together to establish commissioning and contracting arrangements at a local level that enable more integrated delivery of care for patients. We wanted to challenge some of the barriers and myths surrounding commissioning and contracting.

Main contacts for this piece of work

Related publications

Commissioning and contracting for integrated care

This report describes how CCGs in England are innovating with alternative approaches to commissioning and contracting as a way of driving integrated care.

Commissioning and funding general practice: Making the case for family care networks

Our report argues for a new approach that brings together funding for general practice with funding for many other services. This would entail new forms of commissioning, with GPs innovating in how care is delivered.

Payment by Results: How can payment systems help to deliver better care?

Our report reviews the role and objectives of payment systems in the English NHS, focusing on Payment by Results (PbR).

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Contracting for integrated care – what happens once the ink is dry?

Commissioners, providers and policy-makers are showing a lot of interest in new contracting models currently being implemented. However, the contract is often seen as an end in itself rather than a tool for encouraging new ways of working.

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