General information

Since its inception in 1948 the NHS has been at the centre of political debate. Over the past decade the NHS budget in England has seen a marked increase. In 1999/2000 the total budget for the NHS in England was £40 billion. In 2011/12 it will be over £106 billion. Today £1 of every £13 (7.7% GDP) produced by the UK economy is spent on healthcare – a level that matches most other European countries.

NHS Commissioning is in transition. PCTs are merging to form “clusters” and GP Consortia Pathfinders are being announced, which now cover  50% of the population plus the provider market is expanding with the roll out of “any willing provider”.

There has never been a more challenging time to be an NHS commissioner.  The next few months will be key to setting the direction and tone of the NHS for a decade. These pages will keep up to date not only with the news but also the training and development opportunities for you to stay ahead of the pack.