National Health Service Act 2006

[F1 General duties of clinical commissioning groups E+W

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 14P-14Z24 inserted (27.3.2012 for specified purposes, 1.10.2012 for specified purposes, 1.2.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2013 in so far as not already in force) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 26, 306(1)(d)(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2) (with art. 6); S.I. 2012/2657, art. 2(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

14P Duty to promote NHS Constitution E+W

(1) Each clinical commissioning group must, in the exercise of its functions—

(a) act with a view to securing that health services are provided in a way which promotes the NHS Constitution, and

(b) promote awareness of the NHS Constitution among patients, staff and members of the public.

(2) In this section, “patients” and “staff” have the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Health Act 2009 (see section 3(7) of that Act).

14Q Duty as to effectiveness, efficiency etc. E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must exercise its functions effectively, efficiently and economically.

14R Duty as to improvement in quality of services E+W

(1) Each clinical commissioning group must exercise its functions with a view to securing continuous improvement in the quality of services provided to individuals for or in connection with the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness.

(2) In discharging its duty under subsection (1), a clinical commissioning group must, in particular, act with a view to securing continuous improvement in the outcomes that are achieved from the provision of the services.

(3) The outcomes relevant for the purposes of subsection (2) include, in particular, outcomes which show—

(a) the effectiveness of the services,

(b) the safety of the services, and

(c) the quality of the experience undergone by patients.

(4) In discharging its duty under subsection (1), a clinical commissioning group must have regard to any guidance published under section 14Z8.

14S Duty in relation to quality of primary medical services E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must assist and support the Board in discharging its duty under section 13E so far as relating to securing continuous improvement in the quality of primary medical services.

14T Duties as to reducing inequalities E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must, in the exercise of its functions, have regard to the need to—

(a) reduce inequalities between patients with respect to their ability to access health services, and

(b) reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

14U Duty to promote involvement of each patient E+W

(1) Each clinical commissioning group must, in the exercise of its functions, promote the involvement of patients, and their carers and representatives (if any), in decisions which relate to—

(a) the prevention or diagnosis of illness in the patients, or

(b) their care or treatment.

(2) The Board must publish guidance for clinical commissioning groups on the discharge of their duties under this section.

(3) A clinical commissioning group must have regard to any guidance published by the Board under subsection (2).

14V Duty as to patient choice E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must, in the exercise of its functions, act with a view to enabling patients to make choices with respect to aspects of health services provided to them.

14W Duty to obtain appropriate advice E+W

(1) Each clinical commissioning group must obtain advice appropriate for enabling it effectively to discharge its functions from persons who (taken together) have a broad range of professional expertise in—

(a) the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness, and

(b) the protection or improvement of public health.

(2) The Board may publish guidance for clinical commissioning groups on the discharge of their duties under subsection (1).

(3) A clinical commissioning group must have regard to any guidance published by the Board under subsection (2).

14X Duty to promote innovation E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must, in the exercise of its functions, promote innovation in the provision of health services (including innovation in the arrangements made for their provision).

14Y Duty in respect of research E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must, in the exercise of its functions, promote—

(a) research on matters relevant to the health service, and

(b) the use in the health service of evidence obtained from research.

14Z Duty as to promoting education and training E+W

Each clinical commissioning group must, in exercising its functions, have regard to the need to promote education and training for the persons mentioned in section 1F(1) so as to assist the Secretary of State in the discharge of the duty under that section.

14Z1 Duty as to promoting integration E+W

(1) Each clinical commissioning group must exercise its functions with a view to securing that health services are provided in an integrated way where it considers that this would—

(a) improve the quality of those services (including the outcomes that are achieved from their provision),

(b) reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access those services, or

(c) reduce inequalities between persons with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of those services.

(2) Each clinical commissioning group must exercise its functions with a view to securing that the provision of health services is integrated with the provision of health-related services or social care services where it considers that this would—

(a) improve the quality of the health services (including the outcomes that are achieved from the provision of those services),

(b) reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access those services, or

(c) reduce inequalities between persons with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of those services.

(3) In this section—

• “health-related services” means services that may have an effect on the health of individuals but are not health services or social care services;

• “social care services” means services that are provided in pursuance of the social services functions of local authorities (within the meaning of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970).]