News / HFMA 2012 Finance well placed, says Baumann

The finance function is reinventing itself following the advent of the commissioning reforms in England, and it is well placed to support and encourage change, NHS Commissioning Board chief financial officer Paul Baumann told the conference.

‘How do you as finance professionals remain relevant and influential? Clinicians will be in the lead and rightly so. Increasingly they are up for it and up to the job. Clinicians on the provider side will have a similar role. But they cannot do it alone – there is good evidence that close partnership between clinicians and finance leads is a natural and key prerequisite for success,’ he said.

The clinical and economic impact of changes had to be assessed and finance could add value by analysing the economic impact of proposed changes. ‘Finance needs to be there and have something meaningful to say. But being there is the easy bit.’

He added: ‘We are committed to delivering the necessary levels of transformational change and greater evidence-based decision making. I am keen to work up a finance staff development strategy as early in the new financial year as possible.’

Mr Baumann said this could build on the HFMA ‘Making a difference programme’ over the last year. One of the finance function’s greatest assets was its ‘unparalleled’ network that spanned organisational and geographical boundaries. And he added there must be systematic support for finance staff, particularly those stepping up to their first chief officer roles in clinical commissioning groups.