On 1^st April 2013, NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (SCCG) became responsible for making sure that people in Sheffield have access to safe, high quality and effective health services. It buys most of the health services for Sheffield people, including most community health services and hospital health services, health aspects of social and continuing care, GP prescribing and GP out of hours services.

We are a clinically-led organisation - with all 87 GP practices as key members - that puts patients at the heart of all our discussions with providers of healthcare and all our commissioning decisions. Having GPs and other healthcare professionals in leading roles will help to make a real difference to the health of Sheffield people and to their experience of our health services.

Last year we set ourselves some ambitious aims for 2014-19. They were:

• All those who are most likely to need urgent hospital care in the next year to be offered a care plan, agreed between them and their doctors, to help them to stay well  (possibly 15,000 people)
• To achieve a 20% reduction in emergency admissions and a 40% reduction in Accident and Emergency attendances by integrating health and social care services to support people to live independently
• Bring specialised health services closer to peoples home by changing how and where they can be accessed, which will mean less travel to the hospital
• Reduce the gap in life expectancy for people with mental health problems and learning disabilities 
• Put in place support and services that will help all children have the best possible start in life

In order to achieve those aims, we said we would consider concentrating on four big projects. They were:

• Develop ways for health and social care teams to work in a more integrated way to support patients to plan their care so it is right for them
• Offer a range of options for patients in need of health care urgently, outside the traditional settings
• Work with consultants, patients and other professionals  to transform outpatient services
• Commission services that are based on positive outcomes for patients who live with bone and muscular conditions

These ambitions will be delivered through the existing commissioning teams – who focus on:

• Long Term Conditions, Older people, Cancer and End of Life Care
• Acute Care
• Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Dementia
• Children, Young People and Maternity

Full commissioning intentions document

Our full Commissioning Intentions document, with detailed plans, can be read here: Commissioning Intentions 2014-19.