NHS makes the case for sharing back office services

03/12/2010

A recent report commissioned by the Department of Health and published by the Foundation Trust Network calls for a major overhaul of NHS back-office functions, including a move for all NHS bodies to share back-office functions with other NHS bodies. The report highlights arrangements such as those operated by Anglia Support Partnership as good practice.

The review of back-office efficiency, headed by Tony Spotswood, Chief Executive of Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, also calls for a massive overhaul of NHS IT, finance and HR management, concluding that in most cases, the maximum efficiency and up to £600m in savings could be delivered through sharing services.

The proposals were welcomed by the Department of Health’s national director for improvement and efficiency, Jim Easton, who said: ‘This report, written by the NHS for the NHS, is just one example of how the service is taking the lead in identifying where they can make best use of resources for the benefit of patients, as well as the taxpayer.'

Read the report at: www.nhsconfed.org/Networks/FoundationTrust/Workstreams/Pages/QIPPBackoffice.aspx