Leading commissioners sat down last week to discuss whether CCGs are being given the powers and independence they need to make a success of the NHS reforms. Here are the highlights from a lively debate

The latest NHS Outcomes Framework, published last month, contains a new indicator concerning young people's experience of care. If your team commissions hospital services for children and...

The Health and Social Care Bill was lauded as the end of the ‘top-down’ NHS – but could authorisation help preserve the old system? Alisdair Stirling investigates

No-one working in healthcare currently can be unaware of the very real pressure to improve efficiency. At a national level we need to meet the rising costs of treating an ageing...

Public and patient engagement(PPE) is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare.  Not only does it provide commissioners and providers with information to help shape local services,...

The management allowance and its potential impact on CCG size is preoccupying GP commissioners at the moment, but a much bigger challenge is just around the corner, as Alisdair Stirling reports

Small clinical commissioning groups are facing scrutiny in the authorisation process amid concerns over their ability to manage risk. Alisdair Stirling asks if they have a future

Dr Brian Fisher, chair of the Socialist Health Association advocates ‘cooperative commissioning’ to over the potential paralysis GP commissioners now face in the new bill architecture

Tim Jones on how 'year of care' pathways could be the way forward for GP commissioners

David Cameron has said consortia will only take on local commissioning when they are ‘good and ready’. Alisdair Stirling looks at the implications.

Dr Brian Gaffney, NHS Direct medical director asks GPs to consider how NHS Direct can work with GP commissioners on urgent care

Sir John Oldham and Dr Johnny Marshall on how it's time for the NHS to raise the bar on quality

Dr Pritpal Tamber reflects on knowledge gaps and where GP commissioners might begin plugging

With the focus now on commissioning for quality rather than price, Lord Victor Adebowale urges GP commissioners to realise the benefits of commissioning NHS services from social enterprises and the voluntary sector

Map of Medicine medical director, Dr Pritpal Tamber, on how their quest to produce maps showing best value care uncovered a worrying lack of evidence in this field

We asked 12 GP commissioning leads for a progress report on their activity since the white paper was published

Dr Paul Charlson asks if GPs are ready for the cultural changes of a post-white paper world

It’s full steam ahead for GP commissioning, but it’s worth getting to know the rules on co-operation and competition, says Tom Frusher

Chair of the stakeholder group for Smethwick and Oldbury PBC Alliance Group

Dr Clive Henderson looks at what’s needed to get GPs engaged with PBC