Tempting as it is to presume that finalised guidance is the same as the draft you first set eyes on several months previously, the guidance on identifying the body responsible for the commissioning of s117 aftercare, set out in the August publication of Who Pays? Determining Responsibility for Payments to Providers, shows that you can never make this assumption. This guidance is much briefer and offers little assistance in deciphering the complexities of the new regulations.
Our briefing will guide you through the rules on who is now responsible for commissioning mental health aftercare services for different groups of patients in light of the changes brought in by the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012.