Commissioning pack for dementia

The development of a Commissioning Pack for dementia was announced by the Secretary of Stare on 21 October 2010 when he launched the first pack, for cardiac rehabilitation. It is one of only two others being developed this year, the third being for COPD.

The aim of the pack is to provide straightforward, practical guidance for commissioners on the area in question. The pack will include:

  • the case for change
  • the evidence base
  • specifications for particular services
  • costings
  • standard templates for the stages of procurement, and
  • information for the public, people with dementia and carers.

The pack should take much of the hard work out of commissioning by providing the background facts and figures with standard documentation.

The pack will cover four domains:

  • early diagnosis and interventions
  • better personal community support
  • better care in hospitals
  • better care in residential care homes

It is aimed at both NHS and social care commissioners and emphasises the need for joint commissioning across the whole system. The first two domains will be published in March 2011 with the remaining two to follow as resources allow. It will be developed with the needs of GP commissioning consortia in mind but will also serve NHS commissioners during the transitional period.

Commissioning Pack expert team

  • Professor Sube Banerjee, Professor of Mental health and Ageing, Institute of Psychiatry
  • Professor Steve Iliffe, Professor of Primary Care for Older People, Kings College London
  • Professor Louise Robinson, Professor of Primary Care and Ageing, University of Newcastle
  • Richard Humphries, Senior Fellow in Social Care, Kings Fund

Commissioning Pack reference group
There is a reference group of key organisations and individuals, including people with dementia and carers, to help shape the work and to provide feedback as the pack develops. The group has met once and provided helpful insights into initial proposals. The group will meet again on 12 January to consider the first draft of the specification for early diagnosis and interventions.

Find out more
Contact either Richard Humble (Strategic Commissioning Unit) Richard.humble@dh.gsi.gov.uk or Ruth Eley (policy team for older people and dementia) Ruth.eley@dh.gsi.gov.uk