Feature / Under Starter's Orders

Next month’s HFMA Awards 2013 launch will see a new addition to the finance and governance honours. Steve Brown reports

In a year of new beginnings, the HFMA has decided to expand its high-profile finance and governance awards with a special category to recognise excellence in start-up organisations.

In April, 211 clinical commissioning groups took over commissioning responsibilities from primary care trusts. NHS England (formerly the NHS Commissioning Board) took on full responsibility for the £95bn commissioning budget at the same time, putting in place 27 area teams to manage its business on a local level.  And new commissioning support units – initially hosted by NHS England – also have a major role in providing vital support to the new commissioning structures.

Recognising that many of the changes in fact got under way well in advance of April 2013, many in shadow form, the award covers any new organisation set up after 1 April 2012.

‘We have a well-established portfolio of awards that cover the range of activities across NHS finance and governance,’ says HFMA chief executive Mark Knight. ‘But we recognise that there are particular challenges and opportunities in starting up new organisations, especially given the unrelenting pressure within the NHS and the difficult economic context. With this one-off award, we want to showcase some of the best practice being shown by organisations.’

Applicants will be asked to identify any goals that were set and how they were achieved, how staff were  integrated into the organisation and how the local population was engaged. Judges will be keen to explore approaches to governance and financial management, looking specifically for demonstration of patient and financial benefits.

The new award will be formally unveiled this month with the existing eight awards. Entries for all the awards are due in by the end of September with the winners announced, after shortlisting, at  a special awards dinner held at the HFMA annual conference in December.

HFMA President Tony Whitfield says the awards were a key opportunity to recognise and celebrate good practice. However, he says that the current challenge facing the NHS – delivering transformed health services within a tough financial environment – gave the awards added significance.

‘Clinicians have to take the leading role in transforming service delivery,’ he says. ‘But they need finance with them every step, ensuring organisations understand the implications of service change and helping them to find opportunities to enhance service quality and value.’

Costing is a prime example. There is currently a significant push to improve costing data to support better local decision-making and inform national tariff setting. The HFMA Costing Award provides the ideal opportunity to showcase and spread best practice, while also drawing further attention to this key issue.

Governance is another important area. The need for good governance – including improving board assurance arrangements and risk management – stretches much wider than the incoming new organisations, which will have had to set up governance structures from scratch. Partnership and integration are seen as necessary to joining up services to meet patient needs, so it is increasingly important to have governance in place between organisations as well within individual bodies.

Previous entrants report major benefits to taking part in the awards, ranging from an increased local profile for finance activities to a morale boost for local departments and good reward for hard work.

Mr Whitfield encourages finance practitioners to take part. ‘This is a significant opportunity for finance practitioners, and those they work with, to share their work and have their efforts recognised. I hope as many organisations with good practice to share take this chance and get involved.’

More details of the awards, previous winners and how to nominate (from 10 June) can be found ​here.