Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted
Paragraph: 116
Provide clarity to ICBs on commissioning flexibilities for NHS dental services and resource targeting.
Recommendation
In light of the current national contracting arrangements, NHS England must provide clarity to ICBs about what flexibilities they have with regard to commissioning NHS dental services and targeting resources according to the needs of their populations.
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that NHS England published guidance in October 2023 to provide ICBs with clarity on commissioning flexibilities within the national dental contractual framework, and will issue further guidance with practical examples in 2024.
Paragraph Reference:
116
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Accept Following the delegation of primary care commissioning functions to ICBs on 1st April 2023, local commissioners are understandably seeking to explore new opportunities to commission dental services and support partnerships to prevent poor oral health, meeting the needs of their populations, and ensuring that services provide access to patients and remain safe and viable. As mentioned in response to recommendation 9, NHS England published guidance in October 2023 that provides ICBs with options and points to consider when utilising existing commissioning flexibilities to address local priorities within the national dental contractual framework. Key elements from the regulatory framework and Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) have also been included in the guidance so that commissioners can define the scope, limits, and remuneration of services within the requirements of Mandatory Services, Additional Services and Further Services. This will be supported by a further publication in 2024 which will give practical examples of services and the different commissioning options available. NHS England has also published an Assurance Framework which sets out its approach to providing assurance that commissioning functions are carried out safely and effectively by ICBs, including a suite of documents to support ICBs. The OCDO and commissioning team’s ambition is to coproduce a document to encompass the principles and philosophy of good care delivery, together with innovative commissioning examples of how this can be achieved.