Draft guidance for the collection of 2012-13 reference costs from NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in July 2013 has been published today for comment and feedback.
The intention is that the reference costs collection in 2012-13 will build on the changes and improvements we made in 2011-12, and be guided by the following principles:
- supporting the development of price setting, and the development of the scope and design of currencies
- improving data quality, validation and assurance
- ensuring reference costs remain fit for purpose, by which we mean that:
- the guidance is clear, comprehensive and accessible, and clarifies all known issues raised during previous collections
- only good quality and relevant cost data are collected
- the collection is aligned wherever possible to the NHS Data Model and Dictionary.
We have also posted draft copies of the workbooks on the Unify2. At this stage, they include only structure and content, and not functionality or validations. Nevertheless, we encourage trusts to consider them alongside this guidance.
Comments are welcome and feedback on this draft guidance. Please email pbrdatacollection@dh.gsi.gov.uk with your response. Alternatively, please complete our response form and return it to pbrdatacollection@dh.gsi.gov.uk by 5pm on Thursday 17 January 2013.
We expect to publish final guidance, alongside Monitor’s new approved costing guidance, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s clinical costing standards, in early 2013.
Download the following documents:
- draft reference costs guidance for 2012-13
- response form for draft reference costs guidance for 2012-13
Since April 2011, public bodies have been required to comply with the public sector Equality Duty. The duty applies to any decision made, any policy developed, any programme implemented and any practices driving activity. Public bodies should take equality into account as part of their decision making process. The duty also applies to functions and services provided by others on behalf of public bodies.
The 3 aims of the Equality Duty are to:
- eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
- advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do
- promote good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
The Equality Duty covers the following protected characteristics:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex and sexual orientation
It also applies to marriage and civil partnership, (in respect of the requirement to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination) and carers ‘by association’ with people sharing some of the characteristics.
The attached proforma seeks responses from commissioners, providers and service user and carer stakeholders on the potential impact of the proposed reference costs guidance on people sharing protected characteristics.
