The national health service locally and regionally is best placed to identify savings based on their circumstances and priorities. However, NHS staff have told us that they need support to make these changes. Drawing on the available evidence and on the ideas and experience of front-line staff, we will back major programmes of work to support commissioners and providers. These programmes will be locally led, but will have national support, and will ensure that innovation is spread rapidly.
As part of these programmes, we are exploring a number of areas under the HM Treasury-led Public Value Programme, including:
commissioning;
tariff;
estates;
long term conditions; and
community services.
We are also working actively with our arms length bodies, NHS organisations and others including HM Treasury and the Shareholder Executive to implement the recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme. Rather than initiating new projects, in many areas this builds upon significant progress made by the Department and the NHS in recent years. For example, the establishment of NHS Shared Business Services, which is now delivering shared back office services for over 100 NHS organisations.