Healthcare budgets are controlled at a local level by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). They have to make difficult decisions about which treatments and programmes to pay for with the funds they receive from the government. Here are the factors CCGs take into account when determining fund allocations. 

What Is CCG Funding?

Healthcare in the UK is paid for with funds from the government. How that money is spent is first determined by NHS organisations. They have to decide how much local CCGs are given each time budgets are drawn up.

Following a series of mergers, there are 106 CCGs in England. Each one is responsible for achieving the best possible health outcomes for their local population with the funds they have available.

NHS England determines the amount that CCGs receive by considering the funds they obtained in the previous budget, the average age of the local population and how deprived or affluent the local area is. 

All of this information is considered when NHS England decides on a CCG’s budget. Of course, all CCGs would argue they need to receive more, but the process tries to ensure everyone is treated equally. 

How Are CCG Funds Allocated?

Once CCGs have the funds, it’s up to them to decide what to do with them. They have to consider the needs of the local population, urgent improvements that need to be made to facilities and how to ensure as many people as possible are helped. 

Occasionally, this can lead to unhappiness and disputes. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough money available to fund every possible improvement, operation and medicine. CCGs need to make decisions that will have the widest impact on the local population and this can sometimes mean not funding certain things. 

Patients can make individual funding requests if CCG funds don’t cover their treatment. The patient’s clinical need, the effectiveness of the treatment and, ultimately, how much it will cost are all considered before a decision is made. 

What Is a CCG’s Responsibility?

In addition to choosing how funding is allocated, CCGs monitor the quality of care provided in primary care. They ensure services are effective in meeting patient needs. To do this, it’s best practice for them to build partnerships with patients and the public. They need to carry out research to determine the issues that are having the biggest impact.

This is often difficult to do as some societal groups aren’t vocal about the problems they’re facing. It’s the role of CCGs to protect the needs of small, vulnerable and overlooked groups, making sure they have access to the same level of care and treatment as everyone else.

To ensure no group is missed or left behind, CCGs need to effectively utilise media and communication channels. Every member of the community should have a voice and it’s up to CCGs to hear them. 

When approving new programmes or service improvements, CCGs need to identify the right external partners to work with. They’ll make decisions that benefit the whole community, including being part of the process to choose service providers. 

They’re accountable for the performance of these services, which is why it’s vital that they carry out extensive research to understand the risks involved. Strategic planning and effective leadership will make the process easier and more likely to lead to a hospital working with the right partners. 

Using CCG Funding to Improve GP Waiting Rooms

CCG funds are allocated to improve all aspects of community care. Funds are used to improve services accessed by all members of the local area, so projects need to have a wide-reaching impact on all visitors.

Visitors who can take advantage of excellent services are likely to have an overall more positive experience, reducing any possible friction with staff. One of the most significant issues causing unhappiness in communities is GP waiting times. If patients want an in-person consultation rather than a remote alternative that became the norm during the pandemic, then patients have to wait longer than usual. When they do arrive, they sometimes need to spend long periods in the waiting room.

Visitors are bored, frustrated and irritable. Providing engagement resources through your free WiFi network allows them to fill their time in a variety of ways and allows you to actively manage your visitors. 

Once a reliable and robust WiFi network is installed, CCG funds can be utilised to give your visitors access to a range of digital services. From the NHS Apps Library and wealth of healthcare resources to aid in patients understanding their own health conditions to a selection of games such as Sudoku or battleships that will keep visitors of all ages entertained. 

Furthermore, facilities can easily boost access to site-specific support services such as dispensary information or points of contact. WiFi can be utilised to engage with your visitors as well as entertain them through a selection of complementary digital resources like digitised magazines and newspapers. The ease and affordability comes in that any solution can be built on top of your existing WiFi.

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