NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance

2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance

The 2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance sets the priorities for the year ahead, against a backdrop of the challenge to restore services, meet new care demands and reduce the care back logs that are a direct consequence of the pandemic, whilst supporting staff recovery and taking further steps to address inequalities in access, experience and outcomes.

Read a copy of the 2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance Read a copy of the Implementation Guidance Read a copy of the Guidance on finance and contracting arrangements for H1 2021/22

Previous planning guidance

Third phase of NHS response to COVID-19 (Published July 2020)

• Letters and guidance relating to the third phase of the NHS response to COVID-19.
• Implementing phase 3 of the NHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Elective letter
• Nursing and midwifery response to the third phase of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Implementing phase 3 of the NHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic’).
• Activity, performance and workforce technical definitions.
• Contracts and payment guidance October 2020 – March 2021
• NHS People Plan
• NICE guidance on planned care

NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2020/21 (suspended March 2020 in response to COVID-19 pandemic)

• NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2020/21:
• Annex A: Introduction and Overview to Technical and Supporting Guidance
• Annex B: Guidance on the Production of System-Led Narrative Plan Submissions for 2020/21
• Annex C: Guidance for Financial Plans
• Annex C1: NHS England and NHS Improvement Guidance for Commissioner Finance Business Rules
• Annex C2: Financial Improvement Trajectories, Financial Recovery Fund and Marginal Rate Emergency Funding
• Annex D: NHS Standard Contract and Supporting Guidance
• Annex D1: Updating Non-Expiring Contracts for 2020/21 Guidance on the Process for Agreeing Variations and Resolving Disputes
• Annex D2: Joint Contract Dispute Resolution for 2020/21
• Annex E: Technical Guidance – People Planning 2020/21
• Annex F: Activity and Performance Operational Planning Submission Guidance
• Annex F1: Activity and Performance Technical Definitions
• Annex G: Planning Guidance for NHS Led Provider Collaboratives

• NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2019/20

• Technical and supporting guidance: NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2019/20– this technical planning guidance has been produced to support the submission of templates to ensure plans are completed on a consistent basis and to a high standard.
• Annex A: 2019/20 planning prices – an explanatory note– contains draft National Tariff Payment System prices to support planning for 2019/20.
• Annex B: Guidance for operational and activity plans: assurance statements– this document sets out assurance statement deliverables for 2019/20, for which regions are asked to provide assurance that delivery plans are being put in place.
• Annex C: NHS Improvement guidance to trusts for operational plans– the technical guidance for NHS planning for trusts for 2019/20 operational plans.
• Annex D: NHS England Guidance for Finance Business Rules– contains guidance and advice on some of the issues that commissioners should consider when setting their 2019/20 operational finance plan.
• Annex E: Integration of specialised services with local health and care systems– provides detail on how specialised services will be planned in collaboration with local systems to ensure more joined-up care for patients.
• Annex F: Joint Technical Definitions for Performance and Activity 2019/20– contains the technical definitions for measures included in the operational plans collected from providers and commissioners. This is version 2 of the document, which incorporates a new indicator in the provider template, as well as some other slight amendments to the original version. The document contains an errata which describes these changes.
• Annex H: CQUIN-These documents provide the guidance for the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme for 2019/20.
• Annex J1: Joint Contract Dispute Resolution Process for new contracts for 2019/20
• Annex J2: Updating non-expiring contracts for 2019/20 – Guidance on the process for agreeing Variations and resolving disputes

• Refreshing NHS Plans for 2018/19– this is an updated version of the document published on 2 February 2018 which now incorporates two minor changes. These changes are detailed in Corrections to Refreshing NHS Plans for 2018/19

• Technical Guidance for Refreshing NHS Plans 2018/19

• Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance for 2017-2019

• NHS Shared Planning Guidance 2016/17 – 2020/21

• NHS Shared Planning Guidance 2015/16

• NHS Shared Planning Guidance 2014/15 – 2018/19

• Guidance on NHS system capital envelopes for 2020/21
• Reforms to the NHS Cash and Capital Regimes for 2020/21 Financial Year
• Reforms to the NHS Cash Regime effective from 1 April 2020

Posted in News on Mar 30, 2021