This guidance is intended to help providers of community services to move their relationship with their commissioners to a purely contractual one, consider what type(s) of organisations would best meet the future needs of patients and local communities, and how change can be managed to support the transformation of services to patients.

Guiding principles:

• the interests of patients and carers must be paramount
• enable the provision of safe, effective, personalised care
• a clear commissioning strategy, with improving quality and reducing inequalities at its core
• deliver value for money
• decisions led and made locally, with robust consultation processes
• different solutions may suit different services, even within the same locality
• the early and continued involvement of stakeholders in any decisions
• enable integrated care

Download: Transforming community services: enabling new patterns of provision