Shorter-form NHS Standard Contract for 2016/17: User guide now available

The NHS Standard Contract must be used by NHS commissioners (Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England) when commissioning clinical healthcare services other than primary care. Until now a single (tailorable) version of the NHS Standard Contract has been published. But now, for the first time, an alternative, shorter, form may be used in certain circumstances

A User Guide to the shorter-form Contract user guide is now available on the NHS England website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/nhse-contrcts-shrt-frm-guid.pdf 

This Guide is about the new shorter-form version of the NHS Standard Contract. It is for commissioners and providers who may use the shorter-form Contract, and who will have to deal with contracts. It explains when and how the shorter-form Contract should be used. 

This shorter-form Contract is one third of the length of the existing full-length version and is much simpler and less burdensome. It may be used for commissioning of relevant clinical services with effect from April 2016.

The shorter-form Contract is intended to be used when NHS commissioners commission clinical healthcare services of relatively low complexity and value. It must not be used for contracts for any service for which the National Tariff guidance sets a mandatory national price (whether or not that mandatory national price is to be the subject of a Local Variation or Local Modification).