Business case development

As NHS commissioning becomes a reality, physiotherapists will no longer be able to measure the effectiveness of their work purely on the quality of clinical outcomes.

They will also need to demonstrate that the services they provide are value for money and help to achieve wider health targets and outcomes.

More and more, physiotherapists are working as part of multi-disciplinary teams in both community and hospital settings. The commissioning process presents huge opportunities to show how they can add their skills to those of other professionals in health and social care to build better patient services.

Guide

Our concise new guide, Making the Business Case sets out why physiotherapists need to understand and respond to the NHS commissioning agenda, what they need to know and how they can flourish in the new funding climate.

It is part of an ongoing programme of support for our members, including an online resources area and workshops.

'As always, practitioners have a key role to play in implementing policy and making it work on the ground. If NHS commissioning is to ensure an increasingly effective response to local needs, it will depend on the engagement and insights of clinicians. And physiotherapists are natural innovators with much to offer.'

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff   President of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Getting to grips with NHS commissioning

A drive for 'best value' healthcare services, reduced inequalities and a sharpened allocation of resources based on patient needs lies at the heart of strategic commissioning.

Noel Plumridge, a freelance journalist writing on healthcare finance, gives an overview of key developments and trends, plus key messages for physiotherapists looking to seize the opportunities that commissioning presents.

For further information please read our overview, Getting to grips with NHS commissioning.