NHS Kernow's long term commissioning strategy and financial challenges require clarity on when and how services should be decommissioned and a robust procedure that will be adopted to ensure these decisions are rational and properly managed.This policy and procedure is to be used whilst governance arrangements and internal decision-making structures are strengthened within the organisation.

The purpose of this policy is to clearly articulate the exceptional circumstances where NHS Kernow health funded treatment for Care at Home and Supported Lifestyles will apply. The policy will ensure that NHS Kernow can ensure effective and efficient safe high quality services are available for individuals.This policy will be kept under regular review, to ensure that it reflects developments in the domiciliary market regarding clinical and cost effectiveness.Adherence to this policy will ensure the continuation of effective care for individuals.

NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group intends to encourage all of its employees to make these sorts of contributions by giving them the advice and support they need to maximise the benefits from their 'good ideas'. This process is called innovation management and with appropriate good management of innovation, potentially valuable Intellectual Property (IP) canarise. It is intended that innovations and IP from any sector of the KCCG's activities should be appropriately exploited which can mean anything from dissemination throughout the KCCG, or the NHS, to commercial exploitationin order to access wider markets and other healthcare systems. Because of the potential for generating income, an Intellectual Property Policy is required to ensure rules are followed and legal obligations are met.

Non-contract activity policy

This policy was created to provide a means by which NHS Kernow could invite non-staff to becomeactively involved in helping to develop and improving health care, while ensuring that they were notout of pocket by doing so. The policy identifies the type of expenditure that can be reimbursed, the mechanism for doing so and the amounts that can be paid. It enables NHS Kernow to take a consistent approach across the organisation when covering the reasonable expenses of non-staff.