Standard NHS Contract

Standard NHS Contract for Community Services
DH 2008

The New Standard NHS Contract will cover agreements between PCTs and providers for the delivery of NHS funded services.

The Contract will apply to agreements from 2009-2010 and include agreements between PCTs and independent sector providers.

The Contract will improve NHS business processes and support the development and implementation of World Class Commissioning.

Key Points:

1. The New NHS Standard Contract will replace the range of contracts and service level agreements which have been utilised to commission and contract community services.

2. The Contract is a key tool in supporting the roll out of the Transforming Community Services Programme.

3. Commissioners and Providers will be expected to behave in accordance with the Principles and Rules for Co-operation and Competition.

4. All Providers and Commissioners are required to agree service specifications for each of the services commissioned via the Contract, including the performance and quality goals to be achieved.

5. Commissioners will work with Providers to ensure they meet the national and locally agreed quality standards (e.g. 18 week referral to treatment targets).

6. Commissioners will be expected to work with Providers on the development and implementation of performance indicators.

7. Commissioners and Providers will need to agree a data quality improvement plan with agreed milestones to enable the improvement of data quality and collection over the lifetime if the contract.

8.The Contract must support and encourage Providers to innovate to improve services, outcomes and the service users experience.

9. The Contract should support the development of community services in a flexible manner.

10. Contracts will be an important delivery mechanism for High Quality Care for All and implementation of the local visions.