Mergers and alliances create nine CSUs

Commissioning support units will essentially be nine organisations going forward, an NHS England official has revealed. 

Nine commissioning support unit “alliances” have been created through a mixture of partnerships and mergers. 

The CSU alliances have put in bids to become part of the lead provider framework (LPF) created by NHS England to make it easier for clinical commissioning groups to buy services. 

Speaking at the Health + Care conference in London, NHS England’s director of CSU transition, Andrew Kenworthy, said that through partnerships CSUs will essentially be nine organisations moving forward. 

He said it has been a cultural challenge to move from a large number of primary care trusts to the creation of CSUs. 

Kenworthy said: “There were effectively 95 CSUs less than four years ago, and we are now moving to a place where we have nine groups of CSUs working together.

“The nine CSU groups have submitted bids in response to the lead provider framework. That is a process that will assess every service that CSU offers against the best in that area.”

Speaking to healthcare IT magazine eHealth Insider, Stephen Johnson, NHS England’s relationship manager, said CSUs will be in a better position to compete against external companies because of the alliances. 

He said: “Some of them are simply working together, while others have decided to merge. 

“North Yorkshire and Humber CSU is working with Yorkshire and Bassetlaw CSU. Their intention is to merge together.”

The lead provider framework will include also CSUs, charities and private companies.