Transcript Presentation

AQP (Any Qualified Provider)
Brief Overview
Ian S. Ross
Clinical Procurement, NHS North
Central London
www.ncl.nhs.uk
Greater choice and control
• The White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS sets
out the Government’s vision of patients and the public being at the
heart of an NHS where patients, service users, carers and families
have far more influence and choice in the system, and the NHS is
more responsive to their needs and wishes.
• There is a presumption for greater choice and control over care in
the vast majority of NHS-funded services. Greater choice and
control will include a choice of any qualified healthcare provider –
previously referred to as “any willing provider” wherever relevant.
www.ncl.nhs.uk
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Key Principles of AQP
There have been four governing principles laid down upon which AQP
will operate:
 Providers are qualified and registered to provide their services. This
will happen via an assurance process that tests a providers ‘fitness’
to offer NHS-funded services.
 Commissioners are responsible for establishing the local pathways
and referral protocols and ensuring that ‘qualified’ providers agree to
follow them.
 Clinicians referring patients to ‘qualified providers’ must offer
patients the choice regarding which provider they are referred to.
 Competition between providers must be based on quality of service
and not on price. To ensure this happens providers will be paid on a
fixed price, determined by a national or local tariff.
www.ncl.nhs.uk
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Eight services highlighted
for AQP Process
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MSK (Musculo-skeletal)
Adult Hearing
Continence
Children’s Wheelchair
Podiatry
Venous leg ulcer and wound healing
Diagnostic tests closer to home
Adult primary care psychological therapies
www.ncl.nhs.uk
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Possible Benefits of AQP
• Community services should be a priority for implementing the
approach;
• Providers must meet service quality requirements when they are
providing NHS care to patients;
• Providers should meet consistent criteria, but the approach should
be proportionate to enable smaller providers from the charitable and
voluntary sector to provide;
• Potential providers are assessed on their ability to deliver the
service and do not compete on price as the tariff’s are set prior to
any procurement being initiated
• There will be a central management process - potential providers
will access a central ‘portal’
www.ncl.nhs.uk
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Possible Disadvantages
of AQP
• There are no guarantees that providers will receive any
referrals/business by becoming an AQP provider.
• There could potentially be a ‘lack of focus’ from certain providers if
they are not receiving regular business.
• This could potentially impact on the quality of care that is being
delivered.
• Local/National tariff’s are issued, this eliminates any potential
opportunity to negotiate cost.
• Service could be offered at a more cost effective baseline, if
tendered correctly, by offering a contract to a dedicated provider –
economy of scales.
www.ncl.nhs.uk
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