03.08.15
Monitor to roll out new consultation approach for National Tariff
NHS England and Monitor are aiming to publish a series of consultation documents on proposals for the 2016-17 National Tariff, rather than a single Tariff Engagement Document, later this month.
At the regulator’s recent board meeting, Toby Lambert, director of pricing, revealed that the first document will include policies relating to “healthcare resource groups (HRG4+), best practice tariffs and smoothing”.
A second document will discuss “proposed changes to national variations and local prices”.
Following the publication of the documents, expected in August, Lambert said that Monitor plans to conduct a “series of direct engagement activities” with the sector.
Lambert added that work has continued for the delivery of the Costing Transformation Programme. He said that case studies are being collected from trusts to show how patient level cost information can be used for the benefit of the local health economy.
“The team will use the case studies in a report that it is planning to publish in the autumn, on the value that can be gained by moving from reference costs to patient level information costing,” he said.
Earlier this year, Monitor revealed that plans to publish a draft version of the 2016-17 National Tariff on time was becoming “challenging”. In the June 2015 board meeting, it was noted that whilst the planned engagement with the sector would cover new policy proposals for the 2016-17 National Tariff, it would also include some of the policies which had originally been due to be introduced in 2015-16.