My Placement Experience!

Apologies for the extremely late blog post about my placement experience!
I finished my placement on Friday 28th August 2015 and had a lovely lunch with colleagues to celebrate my twelve months at the CCG!
Since leaving the CCG, I have been settling back into university life and working towards final year deadlines!

I can’t believe how quickly my twelve months on placement has gone! Deciding to do a placement as part of the third year of my Business Degree has been one of the best decisions I have made and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to gain invaluable, practical experience and develop a range of skills while being an undergraduate!

Working at NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group has been a great start to working life! I have gained an understanding of the complex structure of the NHS and the crucial role which CCGs play within the health economy.

I was predominately based in the Quality Team during my twelve months on placement. Quality improvement and Performance was something I had never come across prior to my placement, however my role as a Commissioning and Quality Officer enabled me to develop a range of new skills and knowledge about improving the quality of patient care across local Providers. I had the opportunity to assist with implementing quality incentive schemes and monitored the progress of the schemes which we set at the start of the financial year.

I was lucky enough to gain experience in a range of areas at the CCG in addition to Quality & Performance, including; Contracting, Finance, Clinical Project Management, Communications, Recruitment and Transformation.

Projects/achievements while on placement;
• Achieved Prince2 Foundation Qualification
• Implemented a number of Quality Incentive Schemes (CQUINs) and monitored the progress of each indicator
• Updated the Quality Schedules to be included in the 2015/16 Contracts
• Created new section on CCG's website to demonstrate our Performance against statutory NHS standards
• Produced the Contracts for Providers of the AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) service
• Assisted the Finance Team with checking and coding invoices and also matching CHC/FNC invoices for payment
• Gained certificates from HFMA (Healthcare of Financial Management Association) for introduction to NHS Finance
• Created the application packs, including Job Descriptions & Person Specifications for a number of new posts at the CCG
• Conducted interviews along with colleagues for new posts at the CCG
• Produced a couple of Health Matters columns that were published in local newspapers
• Explored the viability of creating a mobile phone App to assist colleagues in health and social care working with MCA DoLS (Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) and produced a Business Case for potential App
• Assisted the Transformation Team with writing a Business Case for the procurement of new Risk Stratification Tool
• Helped to produce the report from the ADHD & Autism workshop
• Took part in 'The Great CCG Bake Off'!!!

What really struck me whilst working for the NHS was that all colleagues I had the opportunity of working with, all had the same passion and dedication towards commissioning the highest quality of healthcare services for the local population.

Everyone I have worked with over the past twelve months has been extremely helpful and supportive and I can’t thank them enough!

I would just like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone at Eastern Cheshire CCG for making it a year to remember and I hope to see you all again soon!

Thanks again!

Emma

Welcoming our new student and Evaluating our Trust's performance!

3rd August - 7th August 2015

After a very relaxing holiday in Spain, I returned to my final few weeks on placement! On Monday, our new student; Katie started her twelve month placement at the CCG. Katie will be replacing me when I leave and will perform the role of a 'Commissioning & Quality Officer'. Over the past week, my main duties have been to ensure Katie settles into her new work environment and to make sure she is aware of the crucial role a CCG plays within the local health economy. We have been going through work which I have been involved in over the past twelve months on placement and I have tried to provide her with advice about working at a CCG as a student. Hopefully I have provided her with the right support during her first week!

As well as welcoming Katie into the CCG, we have also been evaluating evidence for the quarter 1 CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality & Innovation) milestones from ECT (East Cheshire Trust). Myself and Katie have been going through each piece of evidence in detail to determine if the Trust has achieved each agreed milestone. This was an interesting task for me, as I assisted with the initial implementation of the CQUINs and I have now gained experience of monitoring the performance of the Trust. Katie and I then compared notes with our Manager; Andrew to mutually agree whether or not we felt the milestones had been achieved. If the evidence the Trust has provided is not sufficient, we contact the lead of each CQUIN to ask for further evidence and information to be submitted.

Writing for the local newspapers!

13th July - 17th July 2015

While I only have an about five weeks remaining on placement, I was really keen to gain some experience with the Communications and Public Engagement Team before I leave the CCG. I worked relatively closey with the Team last week and attended various meetings. One meeting in particular, was regarding posters and leaflets which will be produced to to promote the CCG’s HealthVoice group, which meets every two months and provides a public view on the healthcare services in Eastern Cheshire.

The Team also asked me to write an article focusing on the subject of staying safe abroad, which will be published as part of the weekly ‘Health Matters’ column in the local newspapers. Writing the article was a great experience as I gained new knowledge about the importance of staying safe abroad, but it also challenged me to utilise my A-Level English skills and write an informative piece for a large audience; hopefully my English Teacher would be proud! You can view the article online by clicking here.
I was keen to gain experience in Communications and Public Engagement while still at the CCG, as I will be studying a marketing module when I return to University for my final year, so being exposed to how the Team communicates with the public and produces marketing material to promote the organisation has been really interesting to be involved in.

This week, I have also been teaching a few different people how to set up and use a blog! A Community Matron from Bollington asked if I would help set up her blogging profile, in order for her to document to colleagues the progression of integrated care in Eastern Cheshire. I also helped our new placement student; Amy (Transformation Programme Support Officer) set up a blog and provided her with my top tips when producing a blog! Although I am no blog expert, it was great to provide knowledge and support to colleagues wishing to enter the blogging world!

Experience in HR!

6th July – 10th July 2015

We have been recruiting for a Quality & Performance Analyst at CCG and I was given the opportunity to gain some more experience in the recruitment field of business! I have been involved in the shortlisting of applications and I was lucky enough to sit on the panel when we interviewed candidates on Monday. It was great to gain some practical HR (Human Resource) experience because I have chosen to study Strategic Human Resource Management when I return to university in September, so I am trying to get as much exposure to the recruitment process in the NHS as possible. It was also really interesting to gain more of an idea of what recruiters are looking for and identify what I must include on my CV when applying for graduate positions. I have learnt just how important work experience is, along with a degree and good qualifications. Work experience is extremely important when recruiting and I am sure my twelve month placement at the CCG will be of benefit when applying for graduate positions in the future.

I have also attended numerous meetings and events this week. An interesting event in particular, was held at the Town Hall on Wednesday, which invited all GPs and Practice Managers to discuss the new Contract that will be used in Primary Care. Although, I have been working on Contracts for Secondary Care Providers, such as CWP (Cheshire & Wirral Partnership) I was made aware that the structure of Primary Care Contracts are slightly different, which is something I am interested in finding a bit more about before I finish my placement.

Finally, to round off the week nicely, I was given the opportunity to present the new Quality & Performance section on the CCG’s website to members of the Clinical Quality & Performance Committee, where I gave members an update on the progress of the new section and the elements that are included. It also was great to hear members’ thoughts, in terms of what may need to be added to the new section.
You can visit our new page by clicking on the following link; https://www.easterncheshireccg.nhs.uk/Our-Performance/

Showcasing our Performance!

29th June - 3rd July 2015

Over the past few weeks, myself and a member of the Communications Team have been working with the CSU (Commissioning Support Unit) to create a new Quality & Performance section on the CCG’s website, where we are able to share with the public our performance dashboards and penalties we apply to Providers who have not met our performance targets.

We have produced an initial background page which provides the visitor with an overall summary of how we measure quality and performance at the CCG and where the data is sourced from. The visitor is also able to select a particular performance dashboard from the drop-down box, which provides a list of months that the visitor can choose from.

I have now been granted access to edit the Performance page and upload documents, which is another skill to add to my list! You can view our new Performance page by clicking on the following link; https://www.easterncheshireccg.nhs.uk/Our-Performance/

On Friday, I attended my last Locality meeting, before I leave in August. The meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis and invite colleagues from Primary Care; GPs and Practice Managers and allows new services to be presented and questions/concerns to be answered. The CCG facilitates the meeting and we discuss current work streams and projects. The meeting on Friday involved a number of presentations from colleagues at the council and social care, providing us with insightful information of services that have recently been formed. These services have been created to provide patients within the East Cheshire area with support for different long-term conditions; we had presentations from services supporting Dementia, patient’s wellbeing and helping to return to work after an illness.

Passing Prince2!

22nd June - 26th June 2015

Over the past few weeks I have been working my way through online training of the PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) foundation course. Prince 2 is a project management methodology, which incorporates seven principles, themes and processes, that should help to control and manage any project, regardless of its size. Learning the Prince2 project management methodology has been invaluable, it will be of great use when I return to university, but also in future job roles.

The course requires you to work your way through the online training at your own speed, with an exam at the end of the course. On Tuesday, I sat the Prince2 Foundation exam and I am pleased to say that I passed!! I am very grateful that I was given the opportunity to complete the course whilst on placement. After a year of not doing any revision or exams, Prince2 has been a great way to get me back into revision mode, just before returning to university in September!

Getting involved in Clinical Projects at the CCG!

1st June - 5th June 2015

Apologies for the lack of blog posts recently! I have just returned from a very relaxing Greek getaway, so this week I have been catching up on various tasks.

Before I went on holiday, I was assisting the Clinical Team with producing a report from the ADHD and Autism workshop, which the CCG hosted, along with colleagues from South Cheshire CCG and the local voluntary Organisations. The report outlines the results from the activities we took part in during the workshop and the project work that has begun since the workshop took place. The report will be sent out to various members of the local Health and Social Care network once complete.

I have really enjoyed getting involved in this Clinical area of work, as I have been able to gain an understanding of how projects at the CCG are coordinated. I have been involved in collating the results from the workshop and I've attended various meetings to discuss the next steps for this project. We are currently in the process of determining the gaps within the ADHD and Autism pathway to identify what support needs to be provided in future.

I am looking forward to seeing how this project progresses before I finish my placement in August!

My Final Few Months at the CCG...

27th April - 1st May & 5th May - 8th May 2015

The past two weeks have been very busy at the CCG! I have continued to finalise a number of Contracts for the Age-related Macular Degeneration service which a number of local providers in the area are contracted to deliver.

We are also in the final stages of negotiating the 2015/16 CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) with a number of our main providers. I have really enjoyed getting involved in the negotiating side of CQUIN development, as it has enabled me to gain an understanding of how the Commissioner and Providers work together to implement innovative solutions that will encourage the delivery of high quality care throughout the system. Once the CQUINs have been agreed with each Provider, we can then monitor their achievements and evaluate the milestones reached through the submission of quarterly reports.

I am looking forward to my final few months at the CCG, by getting involved in a number of projects. I am particularly looking forward to getting involved with the Clinical Projects Team at the CCG, as they focus their attention on the redesign of Neurodevelopmental services in the Eastern Cheshire area.

I have now been at the CCG for over nine months and my time here has flown by! I am extremely grateful that I have had the opportunity to work within a number of different Teams at the CCG and challenge myself with a variety of different projects. The experience and knowledge gained has been invaluable and I am excited to see what my final few months at the CCG brings, before I return to University (of which I'm dreading!)

An exciting couple of weeks consisting of Meetings, Events and Workshops!

13th April - 17th April & 20th April - 24th April

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a variety of Meetings, Events and Workshops within all different areas of healthcare!

I’m currently enjoying working on a number of Contracts for a range of local healthcare Providers and we are well underway with getting them finished and signed. I attended a meeting on Tuesday to go through the Contract with a Provider, to discuss any concerns and amendments to be made. This was a particularly insightful meeting as I was able to understand the level of involvement between the Provider and Commissioner when negotiating Contract terms. I have enjoyed working with the Contracts Team whilst at the CCG as I am able to understand where the Quality Requirements which I've been working on sit within a Contract. It allows me to understand how everything is linked together by the Contract.

I was also lucky enough to attend a workshop to determine the gaps within the ADHD and Autism pathway within the Cheshire wide area. This was particularly interesting, having previously very little knowledge about Neurodevelopmental Disorders. I was sat with a great bunch of professionals who were able to tell me about the current pathways that are in place and the support provided to people living with ADHD/Autism. Although there are certain gaps which have been identified, we are now deciding how the services we provide can be improved. I am looking forward to seeing the progress of the work that will be undertaken as a result of the workshop!

Working towards a Prince2 Accreditation!

6th April – 10th April 2015

After a relaxing Easter weekend, it was back to working on Contracts, Quality Schedules and coding invoices!

Aside from my daily tasks, whilst on Placement, I have been given the opportunity to gain a qualification in Prince2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) which is a professionally recognised Project Management methodology. I will complete online training seminars and revision sessions, before taking a final exam in the Summer, in order to gain a qualification in the Prince2 Foundation course! This week, I have started to work my way through the online training sessions and I am already beginning to see what a beneifcial methodology Prince2 is when delivering a project. Gaining a qualification in the Prince2 Foundation course will also be extremely beneficial when delivering projects as part of assignments when I return to University.

Prince2 is a specific process-driven Project Management methodology, which describes the seven processes, themes and principles of a project. It allows course members to understand the different elements of a project; the roles and responsibilities of the members involved and allows you to gain an understanding of the consistent approach used to successfully deliver a project.

After I have achieved the qualification in Prince2 Foundation, I can then continue with the course and undertake the training to gain a Prince2 Practitioner level of qualification, which is something I will definitely do after I have finished my Degree!

Gaining a Prince2 Foundation accrediation is an example of the great training opportunities that are available whilst working for the NHS. I have previously had the opportunity to complete training sessions and gain certificates in Healthcare Finance, all of which will be extremely useful in the next couple of years when applying for graduate positions!

Snow White!

23rd March - 27th March & 30th March - 3rd April 2015

Over the past couple of weeks I have been learning about the Hospital monitoring dashboard which Quality Analysts here at Eastern Cheshire CCG have created called ‘Snow White’. ‘Snow White’ was initially created to monitor the local hospitals' performance over the winter period, with seven key functions – hence the name!

The dashboard is used and updated every day by colleagues at the CCG, local hospitals and the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). The dashboard requires a member of staff to maintain the data and ensure all the figures are updated to reflect the hospital’s performance. It incorporates past and present A&E attendances, as well as live ambulance data. Working with the Quality Analysts, I have had the opportunity to gain an understanding of how the dashboard works; where the data comes from and where it is then inputted and finalised for publication for colleagues at the local Hospitals to view. The dashboard has been a great innovation which gives us a clear idea of how the Hospital in Macclesfield is performing compared with other local hospitals, using an RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating.

In addition to learning about the dashboard, I have been continuing to develop Quality Schedules and CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) for the local healthcare providers. I am also helping the Contracts Team with creating new contracts for 2015/16, therefore having the opportunity to produce the Quality Requirements and incentives allows me to gain more of an understanding about the structure of a standard NHS Contract.

MCA DoLS Event!

9th March – 13th March 2015

On Tuesday, I attended a great event which explained the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) background and policy. The Mental Capacity Act came into play in 2005 and there was been a recent introduction of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, which aims to protect vulnerable people's freedom. The event was held by our CCG, along with our neighbouring CCGs; South Cheshire and Vale Royal. There were several speakers who presented their views on MCA DoLS and how it affected different organisations. Speakers included; head of adult safeguarding from Southern Derbyshire, a barrister who provided the legal context of the policy, the MCA DoLS policy lead from the Department of Health and representatives from Cheshire police.

The MCA DoLS enable vulnerable people, who lack the capacity to make informed decisions to be protected of their liberty. If a person is identified as having a lack of capacity to make decisions, a DoLS application can be sort.
The event allowed me to gain more of an insight into the legal context of the policy and understand what affect it can have from a police perspective. Something which was apparent in all of the speakers’ presentations was their passion towards the policy and ensuring people’s freedom is protected in the correct manner. A number of the speakers made the valid point of ensuring that each MCA DoLS situation is different and must ensure that the person’s wellbeing and best interests are at the heart of everything. A decision made on behalf of a person who lacks capacity, must be done in that person's best interests.

The event was a great success!

Awaiting the Contract for 2015/16!

2nd March - 6th March 2015

We are currently playing the waiting game... along with other CCGs in England, we are awaiting the national guidance for the NHS Standard Contract which is published each year by NHS England. The NHS Standard Contract template allows the Contracts Team at the CCG to produce new contracts and create contract variations for the local healthcare providers. Each year the NHS Standard Contract varies; the structure and content may differ slightly, therefore we must follow the guidance and template available on a portal to produce the contracts for 2015/16. I will be helping the Contracts Team here at Eastern Cheshire CCG so hopefully the guidance and contracts portal will go live very soon!

The national guidance for CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) has recently been published by NHS England, therefore a number of my tasks this week have involved developing the CQUIN goals for each provider, with particular focus on producing the rationale and the milestones for each goal. Each local provider has a different number of local CQUIN goals which they must achieve. At the CCG, the Quality Team is responsible for producing and implementing the local goals and meeting with the providers to ensure they are realistic and achievable. The process involves a lot of negotiation to ensure the provider is happy with the goal and the milestones they must achieve; working collaboratively with the providers makes sure that high quality care is delivered and patient safety is key.
The local healthcare providers must also achieve National CQUINs which are created by NHS England. The 2015/16 National CQUINs will focus on reducing the rate of AKI (Acute Kidney Injury) and early identification and treatment of SEPSIS within Hospitals. The 2015/16 National CQUINs for Mental Health providers include improving Dementia and Delirium care and also improving the physical health of patients with SMI (Severe Mental Illness).

6 Months of full-time work!

16th February - 20th February 2015 & 23rd February - 27th February 2015

Week 24/25 marks six months of being on placement at the CCG! I can't believe how quickly the past few months have gone and how welcome every member of staff has made me feel! I have learnt an incredible amount about the NHS and the healthcare sector and I have gained a number of skills which will be extremely useful during the final year of my Degree. I am now looking forward to working towards the end of the financial year with the Finance and Contracts Team and the next 5/6 months of working before I return to student life!

Over the past two weeks, I have continued to work alongside the Finance Team; coding invoices, checking invoices against predicted data for payment and I have also been chasing invoices from local providers for the schemes which have been funded as part of the winter implementation plan.

I have also had the opportunity to gain more experience within HR (Human Resources). At the CCG, in the Business Team, we are looking to recruit a new Quality Improvement Manager who will be responsible for supporting the development of processes and structures that will improve quality of care and safeguard patients. Along with my manager, we have created a job description and person specification, ready for the vacancy to be advertised online. I have enjoyed being part of the recruitment process within the NHS and the skills I have developed will be extremely beneficial when studying Strategic Human Resource Management when I return to University in September.

On Thursday, I was given the responsibility of checking the NCA (Non-Contract Activity) invoices on our online system against the data from SUS (Secondary Uses Data) which is a healthcare database which allows staff to anaylse a range of data, run off reports and access predicted invoice amounts for certain healthcare treatments that are performed out of our area. I have gone through the process of coding invoices (which is a regular day-to-day task) to then comparing the amount from SUS against the actual amount shown on the invoice, a variance is then provided which can be queried with the provider if there is a significant difference. Once the NCA invoices have been checked against the predicted data, they are then sent to the appropriate member of the Finance Team for payment.

Assisting with the Funded Nursing Care Payments;

9th February - 13th February 2015

On Monday, I helped Kim (Finance Assistant) to run off the schedule for February’s FNC (Funded Nursing Care) payments. Every month, Kim runs off the FNC schedule from a system called ‘Broadcare’ which enables her to identify how much each Care Home in the area has spent on funded nursing care. The schedule is downloaded, checked to ensure payments are correct and then sent to the individual Care Homes to allow them to make changes if necessary. It was great to gain an understanding of what happens to the FNC payments once I have coded the invoices on Oracle (the system where the invoices are stored).

I have also been continuing to put together the Local Quality Requirements for a number of healthcare providers, which will be placed within the 2015/16 contracts for each provider. The Local Quality Requirements are included in the Quality Schedule section of a contract, which is reviewed each year and includes the Operational Standards, National Quality Requirements and Never Events (certain events that should never happen) which the provider must comply with.

Recruiting my Successor!

2nd February - 6th February 2015

On Monday, myself and my manager, Andrew conducted interviews for the new placement student. It was a great opportunity to further develop my skills within Human Resources and to understand more about the NHS recruitment process. We interviewed a number of candidates for the role and we asked them to produce a presentation which explains what a CCG is. All of the candidates produced brilliant, informative presentations which really went into the detail about the core role and values of a CCG. It was an extremely tough decision selecting a candidate for the role, as all interviewees came out with very close scores. We have selected a great candidate and we are now looking forward to our new placement student starting in the summer!

I have really enjoyed gaining experience in HR over the past month, as I have not had an opportunity at University to understand in depth about the Human Resources side of Business. I have been responsible for producing the job advert, contacting local Universities in order to advertise the vacancy, liasing with our HR department to advertise on NHS Jobs, shortlisting candidates and being part of the interview panel. I would definitely consider HR as a potential career in the future! The experience has been invaluable and I have further developed a number of existing skills (which reminds me, I need to update my CV!)

With the new financial year fast approaching, we are in the process of developing new CQUINs for 2015/16. This week I have started to create the CQUIN goal spreadsheets. Each CQUIN is given an indicator number, a description, rationale and milestones to achieve. This is then matched to the specific value of the provider contract. CQUINs offer the local healthcare providers the opportunity to earn an extra 2.5% of their contract value if the CQUIN milestones are met in the appropriate timeframe. We are also in the process of putting together the Local Quality Requirements for each provider, which are included in the Quality Schedule of the contract and lists what the provider must achieve when providing the service.

My first NHS Contract has been issued!

26th January - 30th January 2015

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend the morning in the GP out-of-hours (OOH) department based in the hospital. I met with one of the Doctors who showed me around, specifically looking at the A&E department and the AAU (Acute Assessment Unit) which are all based near the out-of-hours department. The out-of-hours unit is aimed at patients who require assessment, advice and treatment for urgent healthcare problems when a patient is not an emergency, but needs to be seen urgently. The out-of-hours GPs also visit patients at home when they are unable to get to the surgery. The session was really interesting as it allowed me to gain an insight into the clinical side of the services we commission, in addition to also seeing how the hospital operates on a daily basis.

I have now finished drawing up my first NHS Contract! There is a specific structure which can be followed to ensure the correct information and documents are included - this has been great for me, as it has allowed me to easily identify any elements that are missing. I have also been responsible for liaising with the healthcare provider to ensure the correct documentation is included before the contract is issued and signed.

Within the Business Team, at this time of year, we focus on drawing up contracts and implementing new CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) objectives for the local healthcare providers. This week, we held a CQUIN workshop which enabled a variety of staff from the hospital to work together to consider what goals they wish to achieve in 2015/16, in order to receive a 2.5% return of their contract value. The workshop was a really effective way of ensuring that the CQUINs we implement are achievable and realistic and allowed ideas to be shared between the group. There are certain national CQUINs which we must implement from NHS England, in addition to local CQUINs which CCGs are responsible for implementing.

NHS England Standard Contract Workshop;

19th January - 23rd January 2015

Towards the end of last week, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop which explained the changes that had been made to the NHS Standard Contract for this year (2015/16). The session was led by Contract leads from NHS England. It was a really interesting and helpful session, which allowed us to understand what changes we could expect to the format of the contract and also to the online system, which is known as ‘eContract'. I was particularly interested to hear about the changes that had been made to the eContract system, as I have been using this piece of software over the past few weeks to draw up a contract for the treatment of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) as mentioned in previous blog posts. Luckily, the system hasn’t changed too much and there are now fewer steps to go through before a contract is issued. It also gave me the opportunity to meet other Contract managers from neighbouring CCGs.

Next week, I am looking forward to interviewing candidates for next year’s student placement! It will be great to sit on the other side of the interview panel this time and to gain some more experience in Human Resources. I have no doubt that we will find a great candidate for the job!

Quality & Contracts...

12th January – 16th January

A number of the activities which I’ve undertaken this week have been around the Quality side of the healthcare services, with specific focus on gathering ideas for the 2015/16 CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality & Innovation). The CQUINs are planned prior to producing providers' contracts; therefore time is of the essence to ensure the local providers are happy with the local CQUINs that we intend to implement! We are also running a workshop in the next couple of weeks with local service providers to gather and finalise ideas to improve the quality of care for patients.

I have nearly finished putting together my first NHS contract! This particular contract is being created for a local provider to enable them to provide treatment to NHS patients who have AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration). On Tuesday, we met with the provider to go through the contract and to also identify any missing elements. NHS Contracts are created on an online portal which allows you to use an existing structure, this has been particularly helpful for me, considering my lack of experience with Contracting! I have enjoyed understanding about the contracting side of the CCG and I am looking forward to becoming more involved as the new financial year comes around.

Next week, I am attending a training session which allows members of staff working within the Contracts area of the NHS to attend a workshop which explains the main changes to the NHS Standard Contract in 2015/16.
Each year, there are certain changes to the NHS Standard Contract, to meet the requirements of the current healthcare economy, therefore it is important that we gain an idea of the specific changes and additions to next year's contract.

First working week of 2015!

5th January – 9th January 2015

Each day new invoices are uploaded onto the online system for members of the Finance Team to check, code and approve. Most days, I go onto the system to code the invoices to ensure that we maintain a steady workload. Coding has now become one of my main tasks through the week, it is like second nature to me now!
As well as coding on a daily basis, myself and Kim, one of the Finance Assistants match the CHC (Continuing Healthcare) invoices on another system known as 'Broadcare' to ensure Care Home fees are paid for on time.

This week, I have also been analysing figures from a Practice Nurse survey which has been completed in the local area. I have been responsible for converting the figures into bar chart diagrams to make the data more understandable.

The deadline for the new student placement vacancy has now closed, therefore next week I will be sitting down to tackle the difficult task of shortlisting! I have particularly enjoyed getting involved in the recruitment side of the organisation. Although, the HR department is based outside of the CCG, in the CSU (Commissioning Support Unit) when recruiting a new member of staff we complete the shortlisting in-house. I am really looking forwarding to reviewing the applications and I have no doubt that we will find a great candidate for the role!

Next week, myself and my line manager, Andrew (Quality and Performance Manager) will be creating the Quality Schedules for the 2015/16 contracts. The Quality Schedule is placed in each provider's contract and lists all of the requirements which the provider must meet to ensure high quality care is provided.

What I have learnt so far on Placement!

29th December – 2nd January

I have just returned to work from a short but relaxing break over the Christmas period! In this week’s blog, I have decided to compile a list of what I have learnt during my time at the CCG so far.

The NHS is a phenomenal organisation! I think that now I am ‘behind the scenes’, rather than at the receiving end, I am now able to understand and appreciate just how hard NHS staff work, particularly from the commissioning end, I have gained an insight into how the NHS would simply not work effectively without the commissioners. There has been a lot to learn about the NHS and the healthcare sector over the past few months; it is a rather complex structure, however I feel that I am finally beginning to understand the daily operation of a CCG and the NHS as a whole.

What I have learnt to date;
• Working with the Finance Team, I have developed a number of new skills – specifically how to code invoices and ensure the face of each invoice is correct, in order for it to be sent to the appropriate person for payment. I have also learnt how to match packages for patients requiring CHC (Continuing Healthcare) who have complex, long-term conditions, to ensure payment to Care Homes is made on time.

• Whilst working alongside the finance team, I have had the opportunity to gain certificates from the HFMA (Healthcare of Financial Management Association). I’ve completed courses from five modules; Commissioning, Business Cases, NHS Finance, Cost Improvement Programmes and Receivables & Payables.

• Contracting – before I began working for the NHS, I had no idea that contracts were even needed with it being a public sector organisation! I now have a better understanding as to what a standard NHS contract looks like, the different sections that are included and the tendering process before a contract is drawn up for a new provider.

• As I am working within the Business Team at the CCG, there is a significant focus on the Quality and Performance of the local healthcare providers. I have learnt all about the local and national quality incentives that are implemented; CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) which enables quality targets to be met and offers providers the opportunity to receive a payment in return.

• I have been exploring the options to commission Perinatal Mental Health Services in the local area, ensuring women who experience a mental health problem during pregnancy and up to a year after delivery are provided with high quality care and support. This has been particularly interesting to understand the types of services which currently exist in the area and the mental health services that need to be commissioned in the future.

• I have recently been involved in the recruitment process within the NHS, where I was a member of the interview panel for a new member of staff at the CCG. I am also responsible for recruiting the next student placement to fulfil my role when I leave, where I will be following a similar shortlisting and interview process.

The list goes on… including all of the acronyms which are used on a daily basis in the NHS!
I am looking forward to continuing to work at the CCG in the New Year, where I will have the opportunity to become more heavily involved with the Contracting, Quality and Project Management side of the organisation!

Happy New Year!