“If commissioning is to deliver better value for money and better quality and outcomes for patients, it must be taken to a new level – clinically led, professional and streamlined.

“This means being capable of securing quality today whilst leading the transformation of services for tomorrow. Commissioners will not be able to achieve this on their own. It’s important that CCGs retain their clinical focus, and are lean and agile organisations supported by excellent at scale and affordable commissioning support services.

A strategy for commissioning support services’ sets out the building blocks for developing a vibrant market that enables Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and other commissioners to choose from best-in-class providers from the public, voluntary and independent sector.