NHS

Question 1

How is the NHS funded?

Answer 1

• The Treasury decides how much money will be allocated to the NHS each year.
• The money comes mainly from general taxation and National Insurance (NI) payments. When you are employed, your payslip will show two major deductions from your gross pay (gross pay is BEFORE deductions). These two are income tax and national insurance.

Question 2

Who has ultimate responsibility for the NHS?

Answer 2

The Department of Health - sets policies and the budget

Question 3

What are the commissioning services?

Answer 3

NHS England and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) - THEY ARE LOCAL BASED

Question 4

What is NHS England responsible for?

Answer 4

• Primary care services - for example GPs, dentists and opticians
• Specialised healthcare services (provided in relatively few hospitals and accessed by comparatively small numbers of patients; accounts for around 10% of the total NHS budget)
• Health services for serving personnel and families in the armed forces
• Health services for people who are in prison or other secure accommodation, and for victims of sexual assault (adults and children)

Question 5

What does the Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) do?

Answer 5

ICSs are area-based partnerships ( 42 of them in England)
* They bring together NHS bodies, local councils and others to take collective responsibility for planning health AND social care services
* Each ICS comprises:
* INTEGRATED CARE BOARD (ICB) – plans, funds and commissions (pays for) most NHS services in the area – includes GPs, local council reps and reps from NHS Trusts
* INTERGRATED CARE PARTNERSHIP (ICP) - a statutory committee whose job is to devise an “integrated care strategy” and promote partnership working
* All of this is designed to overcome the expensive – and inefficient – “great divide” between healthcare and social care

Question 6

What does the Care Quality Commission (CQC) do?

Answer 6

The CQC is the independent regulator of all health and social care services, including those provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations.

Its job is to make sure that care provided meets national standards of quality and safety.

It monitors, inspects and regulates health and social care provision including NHS trusts, surgeries and children and older peoples’ homes, publishing what it finds including ratings.

Question 7

What is NICE?

Answer 7

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (note that the H is missing in NICE)

NICE (pronounced as it sounds) – NICE is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.

DEFINITION ALERT; An “executive agency” in public sector terms is one that is financially, and managerially separate from government. It is independent of government.

1 Approving/rejecting proposed drugs and treatments for NHS use.
2 Promoting improvements in public health
3 Ensuring that high quality health care is available across the country