Standard contract

The FTN works closely with members and the Department of Health to influence the development of the NHS Standard Contract to ensure a balanced and useable contract for public providers.

1 February 2012 - We expect the 2013-4 standard contract to be issued imminently. We represented members views on the draft documentation issued for comment in November 2012 and the submission is available below. Thanks to all those who fed in their views.

We use a group of interested members to test drafts of contract changes as well as engaging with the whole membership to get feedback on the key issues with the contract.

The 2013-4 draft contract is available on the NHS Commissioning Board website. Our submission on the November 2012 draft is available for members below - our comments highlighted in particular:

proportionality of fines for c. difficile
18 weeks
prior approval schemes
the need for guidance in a range of areas
activity management
specialist services

Clostridium Difficile and the 2012/13 standard contract

The FTN was concerned that the way the C Difficile targets have been translated into the contract has led to the possibility that high performing, improving trusts could be fined very large sums of money for C Difficile target breaches.

The FTN supports stretching targets for C Difficile reduction but believe that penalties need to be appropriately aligned and targetted otherwise they could actually damage patient care. We have produced a briefing explaining this issue and have written to the Department of Health and Monitor to explain our concerns. Both these documents are available to members on this page. Also attached is the latest guidance on C Difficile testing and reporting and official FAQs on the objectives.

FTN submission on the 2013-4 draft contract documentation

1 February 2013 |

PDF - 3.1 MB

This paper contains the FTN's views on the draft standard contract documentation for 2013-4, submitted in December 2012.

Letter from DH on C difficile penalties

18 July 2012 |

PDF - 45.9 KB

Letter from Alan Hall (DH) responding to FTN conerns regarding C. difficile penalties

FTN Briefing on the NHS Standard Contract for 2012/13

6 February 2012 |

PDF - 79.9 KB

FTN briefing on the NHS Standard Contract for 2012/13

FTN letter to David Flory & David Bennett on C Difficile

30 March 2012 |

PDF - 258.0 KB

Letter from Sue Slipman to David Flory (DH) and David Bennett (Monitor) setting out FTN concerns around the application of Clostridium Difficile targets and their unintended consequences.

Briefing on the Clostridium Difficile policy and targets

30 March 2012 |

PDF - 140.9 KB

An FTN briefing on the Clostridium Difficile targets and policy. The briefing examines how the way that the targets have been set has led to the unintended consequences of high performing trusts bein...