NHS Operating Framework

‘The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2008/09’ published in December 2007, set out local action for PCTs to begin to lay the foundations for future improvements. This included undertaking a local end of life care service baseline review in preparation for the End of Life Care Strategy due to be published in late 2007.

The strategy is in response to the Government commitment to increase choice at the end of life for all adults irrespective of the condition they are suffering from, to live and die in the place of their choice.

Related Information

NHS in England: The operating framework for 2007/08

The document is designed to help local NHS staff shape services around the needs of their local communities. It explains why there is a need to continue embedding reform in 2007/08, signalling a further shift towards building a self-improving system driven by local priorities.

Specifically, it sets out the health and service priorities for the year ahead, the next steps in reform and why these are important and the financial objectives

The document also stresses the need for PCTs to work with Local Authorities to improve health and well-being, reduce inequalities and achieve a shift towards prevention.

(Department of Health, 11 December 2006)

NHS in England: The operating framework for 2008/09

The Operating Framework sets out a brief overview of the priorities for the NHS next year. It is accompanied by annexes (some part of the document, some virtual) which provide more detail on the priorities, how they are measured and how the new arrangements for managing the system will work.

The 2008-09 Operating Framework sets out the health and service priorities for the year ahead, the reform levers and enabling strategies, the financial regime and the business processes.

(Department of Health, 13 December 2007)

NHS in England: The operating framework for 2009/10

Subtitled "High Quality Care for All", the operating framework 2009-10: for the NHS in England sets out:

1. The health and service priorities for 2009/10: Strengthening the focus on subsidiarity whilst maintaining the 5 national priorities and the Vital Signs agreed for the 3 year CSR period 2008/09 – 2010/11. Patient experience is the final arbiter of success.
2. A system designed to deliver quality: making quality the organising principle of the NHS. The local visions set out in High Quality Care for All puts quality at the centre of all the NHS does, this focuses on the levers and incentives to further build on this, including staff engagement for the benefit of patients and the public.
3. The financial regime: Maintaining a framework that supports quality and innovative improvements in services within available resources. Key to this is asking the NHS to go further to ensure it makes the best use of taxpayers’ money.
4. The business processes: Ensuring that planning is based on locally led decision making and maintaining the emphasis on genuine partnership working at a local level with local government and other partners.

(Department of Health, 08 December 2008)

NHS in England: The Operating framework for 2010/11 (PDF)

The NHS Operating Framework for 2010/11 sets out a number of new and powerful shifts in national policies and levers to support the NHS. It provides a set of enablers and tools to support NHS staff to drive the transformation that will be required.

(Department of Health / NHS Finance, Performance & Operations, 16 December 2009)

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