Commissioning Policies

• Health reform in England: update and commissioning framework
• Designed for life: creating world class health and social care for Wales in the 21st century
• Priorities for action: planning framework for the HPSS 2006–2008
• Early lessons in implementing practice based commissioning
• Commissioning framework for health and well-being
• Joint planning and commissioning framework for children, young people and maternity services
• Knowledge-based commissioning programme plan
• Practice based commissioning: practical implementation
• Practice based commissioning: early wins and top tips
• Independent advocacy: a guide for commissioners: supplement
• Making the shift: key success factors
• The operating framework for the NHS in England 2008/09
• World class commissioning
• New tool to reduce emergency hospital admissions PARR ++ (patients at risk of rehospitalisation)

Mental health policies

"Choosing health" provides guidance on how to commission to help primary care trusts (PCTs) plan for and how to commission services for improved wellbeing of people with severe mental illness.

"Everybody's business" builds on the service models described in the "National service framework for older people" but adapts these to outline a comprehensive older peoples' mental health service.

• Choosing health: supporting the physical needs of people with severe mental illness: commissioning framework
• Everybody's Business. Integrated mental health service for older adults: a service development guide
• Making it happen: a guide to delivering mental health promotion
• National service framework for mental health

Mental health guidelines

The National Primary and Care Trust Development Programme (NatPaCT) guidance provides an indepth and step-by-step guide to commissioning based on good practice examples.

The other guides provide general and specialised information on various aspects of commissioning for mental health.

• Self assessment toolkit. From values to action: the Chief Nursing Officer's review of mental health nursing
• Mental health observation, including constant observation: good practice guidelines for healthcare staff working in prisons
• The commissioning friend for mental health services: a resource guide for health and social care commissioners
• Improving mental health services by extending the role of nurses in prescribing and supplying medication: good practice guide
• Psychiatric services for children and adolescents with learning disabilities
• Psychiatric services to accident and emergency departments
• Improving quality in primary care: a practical guide to the national service framework for mental health, second edition, autumn 2003

General Resources

• Establishing the responsible commissioner—guidance for PCT commissioners on the application of the legal framework on PCTs' secondary care commissioning responsibilities
• The commissioning friend for PCTs: whole system commissioning of acute services, revised March 2004
• Commissioning eBook: a resource to improve commissioning of community services
• National service frameworks: a practical aid to implementation in primary care