NHS Derby City is a primary care trust (PCT) responsible for planning and paying for health services for the people of Derby. It is our job to make sure that effective health services are available to all and to keep within our fixed budget provided by taxpayers through the Government.

A vision for developing services and improving health over the next ten years has been set out in a document called ‘Healthy Derby’. Its three main aims are to:

• improve health and achieve equality of outcome for the people of Derby.
• continuously improve the services planned and paid for by the PCT on behalf of the people of Derby.
• actively lead the local healthcare system and to work with communities to build confidence and trust in public services.

However, there may not be enough resources to pay for all the things we want to do, or to provide everything that people ask for. So, each year, we decide what our priorities need to be and publish these in a Local Operating Plan (LOP). This aims to strike a balance between the needs of the population as a whole and meeting individual needs.

All our decisions about what we need to plan and pay for are considered openly and transparently and are based on the following agreed set of values.

Health outcomes

We aim to achieve the greatest possible improvement in health for all people within the available resources.

Clinical effectiveness

We refer to sound evidence of effectiveness from recognised sources, such as The National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE).

Cost effectiveness

We measure the greatest benefits of services, care and treatment against the cost of providing them. Wherever possible, we consider clinical and cost effectiveness together.

Equity

We buy in and provide healthcare services based exclusively on need and available resources. We do not discriminate between individuals or groups because of age, sex, sexuality, race, religion, lifestyle, occupation, social position, financial status or disability. We do take into account individual circumstances like existing health problems, which may affect how successful a treatment might be.

NHS Derby City also has a responsibility to tackle health inequalities in the city. This may mean giving a higher priority to groups which have worse than average health.

Access

Health services are delivered as close as possible to patients’ homes. We continually review how care is provided, and services may be changed or adapted to improve both access to care and the quality of services.If specialist services cannot be provided locally, we buy in services from outside the area.

Patient choice

NHS Derby City respects the rights of individuals and wants to involve patients in decisions about their healthcare. This needs to be balanced, however, against a responsibility to have quality healthcare for everyone within available resources. Our guiding principles are:

• Ensuring that we take account of outcomes that are important to patients and their experience of care.
• Providing, where possible, a range of alternative options, and offering patients the necessary support to make an informed choice.
• Recognising that evidence of effectiveness usually relates to groups rather than individuals. We therefore have a policy for considering Individual Funding Requests.
• Not providing individual funding for care which could not be openly offered to everyone with equal clinical need.

Affordability

If NHS Derby City cannot afford all the care, treatment and services which are shown to be effective, we will introduce further priorities. These will be based on factors such as local and national policies and strategies and an assessment of local health needs.

The services which NHS Derby City plans and pays for on behalf of the people of Derby include:

• Doctors
• Dentists
• Health visitors and district nurses
• Therapists and community health workers
• Hospitals
• Mental health services
• Care from voluntary and community agencies.

For help accessing this document in other languages or formats please contact communications@derbycitypct.nhs.uk or call 0800 032 32 35