News / NHS England outlines four options for CSUs

03 February 2014

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By Seamus Ward

The future of commissioning support units is becoming clearer as NHS England ruled out selling them to the private sector and CSUs announced further mergers or partnerships.

NHS England, which currently hosts CSUs, has settled on four possible future organisational models for the units, dismissing five proposed models. CSUs are to become autonomous by 2016 – for most, this will occur in late 2015 or early 2016, NHS England said. The four options are:

  • Social enterprise (community interest company)
  • Staff mutual following cooperative movement principles
  • Customer-controlled social enterprise (like an in-house CSU)
  • Joint venture.

Staff terms and conditions would be protected and transferring staff would retain membership of the NHS pension scheme.

The five models ruled out are:

  • Selling CSUs
  • Centrally outsourcing commissioning support as a single entity
  • Continuing with existing arrangements
  • Creating new NHS bodies
  • Adoption by existing NHS body.

The number of CSUs could shrink as the units prepare for implementation of a new lead provider framework. This will allow clinical commissioning groups to buy more easily support services from a range of accredited providers, including CSUs, charities and independent providers.

In response, many CSUs have been talking about collaborating to maximise their ability to secure a place on the framework.

Central Midlands CSU with Staffordshire and Lancashire CSU announced in December they were in talks over a possible merger.

In a joint statement, Central Midlands managing director Rob Bacon and Staffordshire and Lancashire managing director Derek Kitchen said: ‘As a larger organisation we can develop the very best approaches across all services and deliver the excellent service our customers and their providers demand.’

Others have decided on a partnership approach. NHS Arden; Greater East Midlands; North Yorkshire and Humber; and West and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Commissioning Support Units are to form a strategic alliance. They said work is currently under way to establish the operational details of the alliance.

Three units – Kent and Medway, North West London and South London CSUs – formed a consortium in December. They said that while their focus was on the framework, the long-term objective was to form a single organisation. In a joint statement, the managing directors of the CSUs said: ‘?Establishing a formal consortium is a first step towards a longer term objective to create one organisation in preparation for autonomy from NHS England in 2016.?? The consortium will make us stronger and bring benefits for customers and staff. It enables the three CSUs to share best practice and invest jointly in new offers to meet the requirements of existing and future customers.’

And in November, South CSU formed a strategic partnership with South West CSU. South CSU managing director Keith Douglas said: ‘Getting onto the framework is critical for us, as not being on it will significantly restrict our ability to bid for work when it is put out to the market.’