Between March 2014 and March 2015, we held 22 patient choice and competition events around England. 
The purpose of these events was to meet with commissioners in person, share our work and discuss what the Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition Regulations mean in practice.
We also wanted to raise awareness of the support and resources (PDF) we offer all year round to help commissioners work confidently within the rules.
Here we set out what participants thought of these events, and the impact of attending.
Who came along?
We met with 464 people in total, with the majority working in clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).The CCG participants were drawn from 125 organisations, representing 60% of the CCG sector.
What were the frequently discussed issues?
Conflict of interest: how can I manage conflicts of interests?
In addition to our substantive guidance on the Regulations, you can read more about conflict of interest in our recent blog post.
Prioritisation: how can commissioners prioritise their work within the rules?
As a consequence of one of our formal investigations, we published some advice for how commissioners can address prioritisation (PDF) in circumstances where there are urgent issues for them to address through interim arrangements.
EU directive: how will this interact with the Regulations and what are the implications for commissioners?
We discussed this issue as part of our involvement in a ‘Future of commissioning’ event reported on in a recent blog post.
Choice: How far do legal rights to choice extend?
You can find further information in the NHS Choice Framework.
What did people think of the events?
96% of attendees felt the event was worth attending.
Overall, the percentage of people who reported their knowledge of choice and competition in healthcare as ‘High’ rose from 53% before the event to 86% afterwards.
Similarly, the percentage of participants who reported their knowledge of the Regulations as ‘High’ rose from a base of 33% before the event to 86% after the event.
What was the longer term impact?
We held 200 short telephone interviews with roadshow attendees to find out if and how they had put the learning from these choice and competition events into practice.
In terms of quick follow-up, here’s what we were told:
What’s particularly interesting is that people who attended the first events in 2014 (and therefore had more time between attendance and interview) reported more significant actions – for example working to integrate our guidance (34%), reviewing policies and procedures (27%), and revising/updating procurement strategy (12%).
It’s important to acknowledge also that as a team, we too learned a great deal through meeting and discussing our work with so many commissioners. We have a better understanding now of the challenges and pressures faced, as well as commissioning aims and goals. We have built this insight into how we offer advice and support.
Are we holding more roadshows?
When we asked how we could support commissioners further, a common thread of feedback was a desire for more online resources and engagement. With that in mind, we launched this blog and are currently developing an e-learning module with interactive content to help commissioners deepen their knowledge of the Regulations as a tool to get the best outcomes for patients. Keep an eye out for updates on the progress of this project.
We are also planning to hold more webinars over the next few months. If you haven’t participated in one before, you can view a recording of a previous webinar to get a flavour of the online events we deliver.
Have you participated in great online learning? If so, let us know what made it so engaging and effective.