Cash controllers
Oli Hudson and Steve How, of Wilmington Healthcare, explore how NHS England’s new system-level funding works and the impact on prescribing for high cost drugs
NHS England’s finance structures underwent huge changes last year, which began with the announcement that all trusts and foundation trusts would move to block contract payments for an initial period from April 1 to July 31.
This move, which was prompted by the pandemic, was followed in the autumn by the introduction of a new ‘system-level’ funding arrangement that sees Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) or groups of providers working together to determine how money should be spent locally.