What we do
What Clinical Senate does
The East of England Clinical Senate provides free, fully independent and impartial clinical advice on any proposals for service change that have significant implications for patients and the public. We provide this advice to commissioners and providers of health and social care to help them make the best decisions about healthcare for the populations they represent.
The advice is provided in confidence and developed independently of the organisations involved.
How we provide the advice
Our membership includes a full spectrum of clinical experts from acute to primary care, including input from social care and patient/carer representatives.
How we develop the advice
In response to your request for advice we bring together clinical experts and experts by experience into a bespoke working group that will provide evidence-based advice which is always given in the best interests of patients. Working with you, our experts provide advice in an open and transparent way, independent of organisations or professional interests. Where evidence is limited we seek to build and reflect clinical consensus.
When you can ask for our advice
You can request advice or support from Clinical Senate at any point in the formulation and development of your proposals from early ideas, to building the case for change to the formal assurance process. You can request our advice as many times as you wish during the development of your proposals.
The benefits to you
Working with the Clinical Senate ensures that you have strong clinically evidence-based proposals for service change, focussed on improving quality, with all the key risks identified.
- we provide a level of clinical scrutiny and transparency to the process, sense checking your thinking and challenging assumptions
- we provide a clear senior clinical appreciation of your options without fear of partisan bias
- we provide additional and important assurance to your stakeholders in readiness for consultation
- we are aware of the wider strategic context and ensure that your plans align with this
- we help to provide clinical consensus where this is lacking
