The NHS Alliance/Humana PBC Partnership, supported by Dr Foster Intelligence, is among the five providers appointed by the Department of Health to support the PBC Development Framework for Strategic Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and practice-based commissioners.

Local areas will be able to get the support they need from skilled organisations, which will help to make PBC practice more effective and robust across the country. The Department of Health is quite rightly re-invigorating PBC and this framework is a step in the right direction.

NHS Alliance chairman Dr Michael Dixon said:

"This is good news for the NHS Alliance, the NHS and, most of all, for our patients. We have a strong reputation with frontline clinicians and managers. We also have credibility within the NHS as an organisation that has strong values and delivers on its promises. We will do our best so that our work contributes towards a new dawn for PBC."

Humana Europe CEO Dr Jonathan Lord said:

"This partnership represents the coming together of clinicians and managers with both NHS and international commissioning experience. We are delighted to be offering this unique support and advice to support the development of PBC for the benefit of patients and the wider population".

The procurement process was tough and the NHS Alliance and Humana are proud of having been among the chosen providers; 107 organisations expressed interest in the work, with only 19 being issued an invitation to tender.

NHS Alliance PBC Federation director Julie Wood said

"We've been working with clinicians and managers up and down the country who are successfully delivering or supporting PBC. And we are proud of our strong track record in promoting and improving PBC. The NHS Alliance/Humana PBC Partnership will put us in a unique position to continue this important work with the 'front line' for the 'front line'.

The framework operates on a call off contract basis, with providers supplying support packages that meet specific needs of PCTs and practice-based commissioners.

Notes

1. The NHS Alliance is a collaboration of clinicians, managers and board members who put patients first. It is the independent body that represents NHS primary care. Values based, it is the only organisation that brings together PCTs with GP practices, clinicians with managers and Board members, and NHS primary care with its patients. The Alliance membership and its hard working national executive is fully multi-professional.

NHS Alliance