NHS: Contracts

National Health Service commissioners are responsible for commissioning the appropriate services for their population. NHS providers may choose to sub-contract activity to other providers, such as insourcing companies, as necessary, in order to ensure patients are treated in a timely manner. There are clear processes to follow where this is deemed appropriate for patients, and guidance that NHS providers need to follow before procuring any such services. No national assessment of services that could be insourced in the NHS has been made.

When used appropriately, insourcing is an opportunity to maximise productivity and efficiency, for example, supporting the achievement of the 18-week referral to treatment target. Compliant insourcing can utilise spare or new, out-of-hours capacity to ensure that more patients can be treated.