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The NHS payment system: documents and guidance

• From: Monitor and NHS England
• Published: 15 May 2014
• Last updated: 23 March 2016, see all updates

Guidance and information on the NHS payment system, a set of prices and rules regulating how hospitals and other providers are paid for the care they give patients.

Objectives

The payment system aims to help NHS commissioners and providers improve services for patients in 3 ways:

• by offering more freedom, to encourage the development of new service models
• by providing greater financial certainty, to help NHS providers and commissioners plan better
• by maintaining incentives to provide care more efficiently

National tariff payment system 2017/18 and 2018/19

The 2017/19 National Tariff Payment System came into effect on 1 April 2017.

2016/17 payment system

Following consultation, Monitor and NHS England published the 2016/17 national tariff payment system in March 2016. You can find the tariff and supporting documents, as well as the consultation documents, below.

1. NHS National Tariff Payment System 2016/17

   • 6 June 2017
   • Statutory guidance

2. NHS providers and commissioners: submit locally determined prices to Monitor

   • 2 August 2017
   • Guidance

3. NHS National Tariff Payment System 2016/17: a consultation document

   • 31 March 2016
   • Consultation outcome

4. 2016/17 National Tariff Payment System: draft prices

   • 11 January 2016
   • Guidance

5. Engagement on 2016/17 national tariff proposals

   • 19 November 2015
   • Guidance

6. 2016/17 national tariff: top-up payments for specialised services

   • 28 January 2016
   • Policy paper

7. Proposed changes to local payment rules covering mental health services in the NHS

   • 21 October 2015
   • Closed consultation

8. 2016/17 national tariff proposals: currency design and relative prices

   • 14 August 2015
   • Policy paper

2015/16 payment system

1. National tariff payment system 2015/16: a consultation notice

   • 23 June 2016
   • Consultation outcome

2. NHS National Tariff Payment System 2015/16: engagement documents

   • 15 September 2014
   • Closed consultation

3. NHS pricing and incentives webinars

   • 6 August 2014
   • News story

4. NHS national prices methodology discussion paper

   • 25 April 2014
   • Closed consultation

5. The NHS payment system: Monitor and NHS England's plans for 2015/16

   • 28 February 2014
   • Policy paper

6. Reimbursement of urgent and emergency care: options for reform

   • 19 August 2014
   • Closed consultation

7. Maternity pathway payment system: guidance for NHS providers and commissioners

   • 11 August 2014
   • Statutory guidance

Long-term reform of the NHS payment system

These documents show how Monitor plans to reform the NHS payment system over the next 5 years. Improvements to the NHS payment system will be critical to developing and delivering the new care models described in the ‘Five Year Forward View’.

1. Reforming the payment system for NHS services: supporting the Five Year Forward View

   • 1 December 2014
   • Policy paper

2. Improving the costing of NHS services: proposals for 2015 to 2021

   • 31 March 2015
   • Consultation outcome

2014/15 payment system

1. National tariff payment system 2014/15

   • 17 December 2013
   • Statutory guidance

2. Guide to the market forces factor 2014/15

   • 17 December 2013
   • Guidance

3. Mental health currencies and payment: 2014/15 guidance

   • 17 December 2013
   • Guidance

4. National tariff information workbook 2014/15

   • 17 December 2013
   • Guidance

5. NHS national tariff: enforcement guidance

   • 17 December 2013
   • Statutory guidance

6. NHS national tariff payment system for 2014/15

   • 3 October 2013
   • Consultation outcome

7. The national tariff for 2014/15: early engagement

   • 13 June 2013
   • Consultation outcome

8. How can the NHS payment system do more for patients?

   • 13 May 2013
   • Consultation outcome

9. 30% marginal rate rule for emergency admissions

   • 13 May 2013
   • Consultation outcome

10. National tariff payment system 2014 to 2015: impact assessment

    • 7 October 2013
    • Impact assessment

11. Local price setting and contracting for NHS services without a national price

    • 24 September 2013
    • Research and analysis

12. The reimbursement system for NHS-funded care: an evaluation

    • 23 February 2012
    • Independent report

2013/14 costing guidance

1. Patient Level cost collection 2012/13: review and lessons for the future

   • 18 August 2014
   • Guidance

2. Costing NHS patient care: Monitor's approach

   • 20 November 2012
   • Consultation outcome

3. Strategic options for costing in the NHS: improving cost data

   • 19 June 2012
   • Independent report

Enquiries about the national tariff

If you have any questions about the National Tariff Payment System, you can contact Monitor’s Pricing team at pricing@monitor.gov.uk.

A summary of past enquiries and responses is available below. These are not intended to supersede the National Tariff Payment System, which remains the main source of information.

1. 2014/15 National Tariff Payment System: responses to questions

   • 25 July 2016
   • Guidance

Related resources

The Costs of Specialised Care

Independent research from the Centre for Health Economics analysing the relationship between costs of care and the delivery of specialised services.

1. Estimating NHS and social care spend: a tool for commissioners

   • 8 September 2014
   • Guidance

Guide for patients

1. The NHS payment system: a guide for patients

   • 26 November 2014
   • Promotional material

About Monitor

1. About Monitor: an introduction to our role

   • 3 July 2014
   • Promotional material

Document information

Published: 15 May 2014

Updated: 23 March 2016

+ full page history

1. 23 March 2016 Added Monitor and NHS England's 2016/17 National Tariff Payment System.
2. 23 February 2016 Added the consultation on the National Tariff Payment System 2016/17.
3. 23 December 2015 Added 2016/17 National Tariff Payment System: draft prices
4. 19 November 2015 Added our proposals to reform top-up payments for specialised services.
5. 14 August 2015 Documents relating to the 2016/17 tariff have been added.
6. 27 November 2014 Added the 'National tariff payment system 2015/16: a consultation notice'. This contains proposals for the 2015/16 national tariff payment system, as agreed by Monitor and NHS England.
7. 15 October 2014 Added link to Monitor's new blog post on the national tariff.
8. 11 September 2014 Added a new independent research paper - 'The Costs of Specialised Care' - to related resources.
9. 8 September 2014 'Estimating NHS and social care spend: a tool for commissioners' has been added to the collection.
10. 18 July 2014 Added the NHS National Tariff Payment System 2015/16: engagement documents
11. 15 May 2014 First published.

From: Monitor NHS England