Briefing / Commissioning to reduce health inequalities

Finance staff have valuable skills which can support commissioners as they seek to understand and meet the needs of their populations. This is part of an emerging population health management approach which aims to reduce health inequalities. 

By using population health management techniques to explore the data, commissioners can better understand how different groups access and experience care, how their outcomes vary, and what factors are driving ill-health. From here, they can explore new models of care designed to reduce health inequalities and meet the needs of under-served groups.

It is important that finance teams have the capacity and capability to help with this work. Specifically, they can contribute by using data to understand a population’s needs, measuring value, supporting partner organisations to get involved, facilitating data sharing and drawing on user insight. Commissioning approaches will continue to evolve as integrated care boards become better established and NHS England works on national policy and guidance. Finance teams should keep abreast of developments such that they can support commissioners in their work to reduce health inequalities.