News / Monitor VFM report to be published in new year

The report is seen as a vital foundation for the ambitious programme, which will see the whole English NHS implement patient-level costing using a revised and consistent methodology. With a general presumption that value for money will be established, the report has been developed in parallel with initial work on costing transformation.

However, it is seen as playing an important role in getting providers to buy into the programme, which may require investment in systems and costing staff to realise the full benefits.

A report to November’s Monitor board meeting said the delay was ‘due to a higher than expected response from the sector of high-level case studies and other potential evidence’. Further time would enable Monitor to ‘properly analyse and collate the information to assess potential to be included in the publication’ – now expected at the end of January 2016.

The November board paper also said the regulator had completed recruitment to its own costing team, including a permanent director of costing. This position has been filled on an interim basis by Jamie Gannaway, with the new permanent director due to start in the new year.

Monitor ended consultation on draft minimum requirements for costing software in November. Costing systems will in future need to be accredited. The minimum requirements describe what systems will need to do to support the new methodology – from importing minimum data sets, applying allocation methods and outputting robust data.

Graham James, vice-president of healthcare solutions at CACI, which supplies the Synergy costing system, said its latest system upgrade had looked to address draft requirements.

‘We are seeing some early adopters, particularly in the acute sector, coming forward wanting to get the costing transformation programme requirements up and running before the deadline,’ he said.

But with many providers waiting for the accreditation system to be in place, road test partners’ experience with different software would be crucial in influencing future purchase decisions.