News / Scope of shared services could grow

The move is part of a package of measures – to address pay bill growth, consolidate back office and pathology services and identify new ways of re-providing unsustainable services – to cut the provider deficit to £250m by financial year-end.

In mid July, NHS Improvement deputy chief executive/executive director of resources Bob Alexander wrote to provider chief executives asking them to complete a high-level summary of opportunities for consolidation in back office and pathology and re-provision of unsustainable services.

He said these ‘two-page notes’ – required by 31 July – would, in each sustainability and transformation plan (STP) area, ‘ensure rapid progress during 2016/17 in starting to improve efficiency and quality’.

In August, NHS Improvement executive director of operational productivity Jeremy Marlow listed the areas considered priorities for review, including elements of finance, HR, IM&T, procurement, payroll, governance and risk, estates and facilities and legal services.

In finance, the functions listed included: financial accounts; income planning; management accounts; accounts payable; accounts receivable; commercial teams; and internal audit. In many trusts, management accounts, for example, with its close links to frontline services through business partnering, has not previously been considered for shared delivery.