Advice and Guidance for commissioners

To understand data within e-RS to access and analyse existing advice and guidance services available, both locally and nationally, you may want to use or obtain the Information Analyst role (B1130). If you do not have this role contact your registration authority team.  Alternatively, you could ask your information analyst to obtain the data for you.

Reviewing local data and outcomes, using the AG01 advice and guidance activity report, can also provide valuable information. 

We have also provided a number of useful resources including: 

• the NHS England long term plan  
• the 2020/2021 standard contract
• NHS England’s elective care and transformation programme best practice solutions document for advice and guidance 
• joint guidance - NHS e-RS a guide for GPs (Section 16) and NHS e-RS a guide for secondary care doctors 

Work with providers to understand requirements or tariffs by:  

• undertaking training needs analysis and carrying out training as necessary (find out more by visiting the training section for referrers)
• engaging with referrers to create new processes 
• promoting advice and guidance facility, start dates and Clinical Commissioning Group expectations

Review existing local advice and guidance services by using the EBSX05 (and other extracts)

Ensure services are available to referrers by checking in the Directory of Services (DOS) available in e-RS

Where advice and guidance services are only available locally and set up on the primary care menu in e-RS by providers, commissioners need to find and commission the service in e-RS, using the commissioner role (B1106).  If you do not already have this role, please request it from the Registration Authority.

Provide ongoing support to referrers and providers. 

Use the data within e-RS to assess, report and review local advice and guidance service utilisation and outcomes

• obtain the Information Analyst role (B1130), via your registration authority team, to access data
• analyse the AG01 (advice and guidance activity report), using the Information Analyst role, to look at local data (for example: advice and guidance activity, users, outcomes, etc)
• analyse the extracts to review if advice and guidance UBRNs have been converted into a referral
• use the e-RS reports and extracts for more information
• undertake and review quality assurance analysis, by using the AG01 (advice and guidance activity report) and EBSX02
• regularly review advice and guidance services to ensure they meet local requirements
• review lessons learnt and share findings