Why Care Model Design matters
A practical guide to Care Model Design for commissioners, providers and service design leads. Learn the governance, evidence and delivery steps that improve outcomes and reduce risk. Service solutions are stronger when pathway design, workforce, finance, governance and mobilisation are considered together from the outset.
Understanding Leveraging Data for Care Model Design across the NHS
The Provider Selection Regime (PSR) replaced the previous NHS procurement rules in January 2024, introducing new decision-making processes for awarding healthcare contracts. Unlike the previous Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition Regulations, the PSR provides commissioners with greater flexibility — including direct award options where continuity of care, patient safety or service integration justify it. However, the regime also requires commissioners to demonstrate transparent decision-making and to consider whether competitive tendering would better serve patients.
Providers need to understand the three PSR decision-making processes: Direct Award Process A (for services where there is only one capable provider), Direct Award Process B (for services meeting specific criteria around continuity and integration), and the Most Suitable Provider process which involves competitive evaluation. Each route has different evidence requirements and timelines.
The PSR also introduces new requirements around stakeholder engagement. Commissioners must demonstrate that they have considered patient views, provider feedback and clinical input when making award decisions. Providers who engage proactively with commissioners — sharing outcome data, innovation proposals and partnership plans — are better positioned regardless of which award route is used.
The current landscape
Options appraisal is a critical step that is often rushed or bypassed. Before committing to a service model, organisations should systematically evaluate alternatives against agreed criteria including clinical effectiveness, financial viability, workforce feasibility, patient access and alignment with strategic priorities. This process should be documented transparently to support governance approval.
Service specifications are the bridge between strategic intent and operational delivery. A well-written specification defines the service model, target population, expected outcomes, quality standards, workforce requirements and performance metrics clearly enough for providers to develop a credible delivery plan and for commissioners to hold providers accountable.
What organisations need to know
This article focuses on Leveraging Data for Care Model Design across the NHS and the wider priorities around Care Model Design, Healthcare Solutioning, NHS, healthcare strategy, best practice. The strongest organisations do not treat this as a stand-alone exercise — they connect governance, workforce, communication and evidence so leaders can make decisions quickly and confidently.
Commissioners, providers and service design leads should consider these questions before proceeding:
- Has the service model been stress-tested with frontline clinicians and operational managers?
- What workforce model underpins the service, and can it be recruited to?
- What options were considered, and why was this model selected?
Practical checklist
Getting Care Model Design right requires structured preparation and disciplined follow-through:
- Define the target model, the problem it solves and the outcomes it should deliver
- Stress-test workforce, estates, digital, governance and mobilisation assumptions before approval
- Write specifications and business cases that are practical enough to commission, mobilise and evaluate
- Translate Care Model Design into named actions, owners and realistic deadlines
- Keep evidence, decisions and outcomes in one place so future assurance, inspection or procurement activity is easier to manage
Evidence you should have ready
Organisations with strong evidence bases consistently perform better in healthcare solutioning activities. Key evidence includes:
- Workforce model with skill mix, capacity calculations and recruitment feasibility
- Financial model covering setup costs, running costs and projected activity
- Patient pathway maps showing the end-to-end service journey
Governance considerations
Strong governance underpins successful delivery. For Care Model Design, this means:
- Risk register maintained from design through implementation
- Post-implementation review planned from the outset to capture learning
Common mistakes to avoid
Based on our experience working with commissioners, providers and service design leads, these are the most frequent errors:
- Designing new services without enough operational detail to implement them
- Underestimating mobilisation dependencies across workforce, estates and digital
- Producing business cases that describe ambition without evidencing feasibility
Avoiding these pitfalls requires leadership commitment, clear accountability and a willingness to seek independent review when internal perspectives may be limited.
How CPGB Ltd can help
We support commissioners, providers and service design leads with service design, option appraisal, business cases and mobilisation planning. Our team combines frontline health and social care experience with practical consultancy so recommendations are proportionate, evidence-led and built for real delivery.
With over 100 years of combined NHS experience and a track record that includes contracts worth over £200 million, investigations across 50+ NHS trusts and 40+ CQC improvements achieved, we bring both credibility and practical expertise to every engagement.
Contact us to discuss Care Model Design and the wider priorities around Healthcare Solutioning, NHS, healthcare strategy, best practice.