Report Long read

Clinical commissioning groups: transferring the legacy into learning

3 March 2022

Reflections and recommendations from clinical commissioning groups to help inform the success of integrated care systems.

Key points

As the health and care bill, which is expected to become the Health and Care Act (2022), is set to abolish clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and establish statutory integrated care systems (ICSs) that will take over CCG commissioning functions, NHS Clinical Commissioners has worked with our members to consider the legacy of CCGs and offer reflections for the benefit of ICSs.
During CCGs’ nine years of operation, they have evolved from their initial founding principle of promoting competition, pivoting towards collaboration. However, their other founding idea of combining clinical and managerial leadership to make commissioning decisions that drive quality improvement, has been a successful legacy.
While ICSs are an appropriate next step to further integrate delivery of care, important features of CCGs should be preserved to provide the bedrock for ICSs’ success. In particular, CCGs’ progress towards integration and clinical leadership at a place level, accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, has the potential to be a significant enabler of ICSs.
CCGs have been largely effective at empowering clinical leadership and engagement, driving quality improvement, and facilitating integration at place level. This report sets out 11 recommendations for ICS leaders, to help ICSs learn from this legacy.