The PCT Network with the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) established a PCT Finance Directors Reference Group in September 2008.
The group was set up to support PCTN's financial work programme and create a forum for discussion of issues of common concern. Since the first meeting of this group in September last year, the group agreed to meet on a quarterly basis. The group is chaired by Gill Scoular, director of finance, NHS Northamptonshire. David Stout, director of PCT Network attends these meetings to provide an update on the work that PCT Network is doing around the issues that affect this group. Janet Perry, NHS finance controller, Department of Health also attends meetings of this group. Janet provides an update on current Department initiatives and seeks views from the group on those initiatives.
Topics for discussion during meetings of the finance directors group have included the following key issues.
- Allocations and their implications
- The Tariff
- World class commissioning competencies.
Speakers from the Department of Health and the wider healthcare sector regularly attend meetings. Speakers provide delegates with an update on the work they are doing on these key issues. Delegates also have the opportunity to feed their views and experiences into areas of work the Department may be doing that will affect them.
Finance directors group meetings and dates for 2010
At the most recent meeting at the NHS Confederation offices in London on 4 December, the directors of finance group discussed a range of current issues. These included the tariff and the acute services contract.
Tabitha Brufal, from the quality and productivity team at the Department of Health, gave delegates a presentation on how her team is helping to support the NHS in rising to the quality and productivity challenge. Minutes and the presentation from this meeting will be available to members soon.
The dates for 2010 meetings of this group are below. Please note that these meetings are for DOF group members only.
- 5 March 2010, 29 Bressenden Place, London
- 16 June 2010, 29 Bressenden Place, London
- 23 September 2010, 29 Bressenden Place, London
- 2 December 2010, 29 Bressenden Place, London
Finance Directors group members
The group has 2 nominated representatives from each SHA region in England. Members of the group are directors of finance or finance leads from our PCT Network member organisations. You can click on the link below to see the representatives from your SHA region.
For minutes from earlier meetings and for further information on this group and its work programme, please contact Martin Panther, senior membership officer, at martin.panther@nhsconfed.org.