Feature / Technical round-up

06 September 2012

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Tier 2 – audit standards – HIV pathway – CCG overheads

  • Monitor has told foundation trusts they must confirm a month in advance the exact date of a submission requesting a tier 2 borrowing limit. In its latest monthly bulletin the regulator added that trusts considering taking on assets following Transforming community services transactions should assess whether the transfer would trigger transaction reporting requirements set out in the Compliance framework and also whether the transfer could impact on their borrowing limit.
  • New NHS internal audit standards have been published by the Department of Health. The standards took effect from 2011/12, updating standards issued in 2002, but the publication includes specific requirements and interpretations to reflect the NHS environment and governance structures. Providers of internal audit services are the primary audience, but the standards should also be of interest to accountable/ accounting officers and audit committees.
  • HIV outpatient pathway factsheets have been made available by the Department of Health. The four factsheets, aimed at clinicians, commissioners and finance personnel, include a summary of the proposed year of care pathway for an outpatient services payment by results (PBR) currency. Another looks at alternative settings for elements of the pathway. There is also an outpatient pathway finance factsheet for providers.
  • An updated ready reckoner for calculating clinical commissioning group (CCG) running costs has been published by the NHS Commissioning Board. The board said the tool should help CCGs consider different commissioning support arrangements and delivery models.
  • Schedule 6 of foundation trusts’ terms of authorisation now includes a mandatory return for the National Audit Office census of NHS trusts. This return will focus on progress in delivering NHS efficiency savings.
  • Revised charges for accommodation let to health and social care staff have been issued by Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Rents for accommodation let to staff should ensure the annual rental income for each property is about 4.8% of its capital value. The charge for garages is now £4.89 a week. The circular also updates charges for heat, light and power.
  • The Department of Health has drawn commissioners’ attention to a number of health investment tools, which aim to help them achieve the best outcomes from the money they spend. They include the spend and outcomes tool, programme budgeting atlases and NHS comparators, which provide quarterly inpatient activity and expenditure data by programme budget at England, strategic health authority, commissioner and practice level.
  • An overview of methodology used in programme budgeting has been published. Aimed at those new to programme budgeting, it includes a look at the process for mapping services to programme budgeting categories.

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