Agenda item - Clinically Effective Commissioning

20.1    This item was introduced by Lola Banjoko, Director of Performance, Planning & Informatics at Brighton & Hove CCG; and by Pippa Ross-Smith, CCG Chief Finance Officer.

20.2    Ms Banjoko told members that the Clinically Effective Commissioning (CEC) initiative is being run across the STP footprint. The focus is on ensuring that planned care decisions reflect current best clinical practice, with unnecessary or low-value interventions identified and eliminated.

20.3    Groups of clinicians from across Sussex and East Surrey will agree on CEC recommendations. However, all decisions about services will be taken by local CCGs, and in theory a CCG could reject CEC recommendations.

20.4    In response to a question from Cllr Greenbaum on referral management, the committee was told that there has been a local system in place for some years to check that GP referrals for treatment are valid and meet the agreed thresholds.

20.5    In answer to a query on CEC public engagement from Fran McCabe, members were informed that there would be engagement on specific service changes, should the changes identified be significant. The timescale for CEC will be determined by the clinicians working on the initiative.

20.6    In response to a question from Cllr Allen as to whether CEC was rationing by another name, members were told that CEC is about ensuring that services are as clinically effective as possible; it is not about saving money. There are clearly financial challenges that must be addressed, but the system needs to ensure that all activity is clinically justifiable before it can fully tackle financial problems. It is particularly important that everything possible is done to eliminate waste and unnecessary activity so as to minimise the need for changes which might adversely impact upon services.