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All about the FESC

The Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners (FESC) will provide Primary Care Trusts with easy access to a framework of expert suppliers (such as Humana) who can support them in undertaking their commissioning functions.

The framework has been developed in response to the vision set out in Health Reform in England: update and commissioning framework (July 2006) for stronger and more effective commissioning, as a key element of a comprehensive programme of health reforms.

Commissioning functions covered by the FESC

It is proposed that the areas covered by the commissioning function will be:

• Assessment & Planning;
• Contracting & Procurement;
• Performance Management, Settlement & Review; and
• Patient & Public Engagement.

This range of activity includes items such as the identification of population health needs, data collection, analysis and distribution, the design of care pathways and the implementation and management of contractual arrangements in accordance with those needs.

Using the FESC will help PCTs by:

• providing easy access to a framework of organisations, offering a range of skills and experience, that have been through a robust pre-qualification process by the DH;
• saving time in undertaking procurement activities with easy access to optimum value for money solutions;
• minimising the range of organisations offering resource, which will reduce the legal and cost implications that can be encountered when seeking to procure external support; and
• adopting more innovative and efficient approaches to commissioning.

Why the FESC is needed

The FESC will give PCTs a commissioning option from which to choose. In many cases, the NHS will achieve better value for money by the Department of Health procuring a single framework contract, rather than individual organisations undertaking many separate procurements. PCTs will be able to secure the support they need more quickly and from a pre-appointed list of suppliers.

Increasingly, PCTs are devolving a range of commissioning functions and activities to practice based commissioners, usually acting in groups or consortia. The recent PBC Guidance, Practice based commissioning, practical implementation (Nov 2006), set out the expectation that PCTs would provide appropriate management support to PBC groups. Practices, in agreement with PCTs, may wish to obtain support in particular functions by using the FESC. The framework will therefore become an important additional tool to support the development of PBC.