The (NACG) was set up to enable ambulance commissioners to address common issues and challenges together, and to instil an ethos of partnership working across ambulance commissioning bodies. Its role is to:
- help strengthen ambulance commissioning by sharing and developing best practice between members in a way that endorses the national vision to integrate urgent and emergency care; and
- enable members to work collaboratively to inform and influence national health policy relating to ambulance service provision and its role in and the wider emergency and urgent care system, from a commissioners’ perspective.
The group meets on a monthly basis either face to face at the NHS Confederation offices in London, or via teleconference. It is chaired by Helen Medlock, Associate Director for urgent and emergency care - NHS Kent and Medway, and lead commissioner for the South East Coast ambulance service.
A list of key contacts for ambulance commissioning bodies can be found here.
The current priorities that NACG members are working on are:
- Understanding the opportunities for improving the efficiency of ambulance services through more proactive and strategic commissioning of urgent and emergency care
- Introducing Payment by Results for Ambulance Services
- The introduction and use of new clinical quality indicators for urgent and emergency care
- Supporting shadow clinical commissioning groups to develop their knowledge and understanding of ambulance services, and their role in the wider urgent and emergency care system
- Influencing the design of new ambulance service commissioning arrangements that will support the development of integrated urgency and emergency care as the NHS reforms are implemented.
The NACG has produced policy papers on achieving integrated unscheduled care and a compelling vision for ambulance service commissioning. The former sets how the group sees the future role and contribution of ambulance services within an integrated, safe, and effective unscheduled care system and what needs to happen if this vision is to be achieved. The compelling vision for ambulance service commissioning was produced in partnership with the NHS Confederation's Ambulance Service Network, and was developed to help influence national policy on the proposed new commissioning arrangements following publication of the NHS White Paper.
For more information about the work of the NACG please contact Elizabeth Wade, Head of Commissioning Policy and Membership, on 020 7074 3215 or via elizabeth.wade@nhsconfed.org