Understanding commissioning for non-commissioners.

Commissioning is vital to a patient-led NHS. The knowledgeable practitioner, a non-commissioner, can become involved to influence commissioners to improve the population's health and well-being. Commissioning and the activities related towards improving the health and wellbeing of a given population follow a decision-making model. Depicted as a cyclical process each stage of commissioning is examined. At the centre of commissioning are service-users for whom commissioned services are tailored. Securing the service-user at the centre enables people to become involved and have their voices heard. This article provides an exploration of the issues surrounding commissioning and provides examples of how practitioners can engage with the concept of commissioning to inform and influence commissioners.