Briefing / Sustainability and transformation partnerships

As sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs), accountable care systems and new models of care evolve, governance arrangements must be a priority consideration.  These new arrangements are driven by ‘at scale’ partnership working inside and outside of the NHS.  This is likely to include working with health, local government, primary care, private and third sector bodies including GPs and limited liability partnerships.  It is this that leads to the need for new principles-based governance arrangements; arrangements that also need to be future-proof. The approach needs to be tailored to fit the size and complexity of the partnership in question.

The HFMA’s Governance and audit Committee has developed a diagnostic tool which on completion, can underpin board/ governing body/ audit committee discussions by highlighting where robust arrangements are already in place and also where more work is required.