WIREDGOV

In approving the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Parliament charged Monitor with overseeing on behalf of patients a new regulatory system for NHS foundation trusts and other licensed NHS providers. Over the past year Monitor has received external advice to help us develop our new role in time for April 2013. In order to meet this increased responsibility and deliver value for money for the taxpayer, Monitor commissioned some experts to advise on developing the new regime. This has constituted 75% of our spending on projects this year.

We also received advice as part of our on-going regulatory work to deliver short term projects requiring an independent perspective and specific expertise. In line with the National Audit Office’s advice on Central Government’s Use of Consultants and Interims (Oct 2010) we believe that we can achieve better value for money by using external support for some short term work, as opposed to hiring additional staff, whose skills won’t be needed on a long-term basis. When we use external experts we follow a rigorous competitive tendering process to ensure value for money is achieved. Monitor retains oversight and responsibility for all work carried out in the regulation of foundation trusts.

Half the amount spent on these projects was instructed and funded by the Department of Health and the other half was funded by Monitor.

The information is being published in two formats, one is a project by project breakdown split into two parts to indicate who commissioned the work (Monitor and the Department of Health). The other is a breakdown of project by type in the following categories:

Project description

Accountancy services were used to independently analyse the performance of NHS trusts in advance of the Monitor assessment process, and to support the annual review of financial reporting.

Economic support helped Monitor develop the economic basis behind our new role and examine how the Health and Social Care Act might impact the NHS.

Contingency Planning to take Mid Staffs through the Continuity of Service regime.

Strategic advice services supported the development of Monitor’s new role and helped identify how Monitor should engage with patients and other stakeholders.

Recruitment services helped Monitor cost effectively find staff to fulfil its new duties.

Business Process Outsourcing developed an independent analysis of the annual plans of Foundation Trusts

Organisational Change Management to support the design of Monitor’s sector regulation role and a separate project to help design of our pricing function

Research into the development of Monitor’s economic functions under the Health and Social Care Act.

IT modifications to help Monitor staff carry out our new role

Programme and Project Management to support our consultation into Monitor’s new functions.

Impact Assessment into Monitor’s provider licence

Audit to enable Monitor to provide independent assurance for the internal audit of a sample of Foundation Trusts

Training for staff on the different aspects of Monitor’s new role

Website support to develop and maintain Monitor’s website.

Please note this data is for projects commissioned for the calendar year of 2012 and therefore may differ from our annual accounts 2012/13.