Cost the Service

It is critical that dietetic service providers are clear as to what the costs of their services are for example what the cost is of:

• a face to face consultation
• a package of 6 out-patient appointments
• of a dietitian seeing a patient on an acute ward in a hospital
• delivery of training

It is an accepted part of life as an NHS manager to understand the finances of the services managed.  If support is needed with this, the first call needs to be to the allocated financial manager, they want to provide support.

Other sources can include business managers, contract managers or planning managers.  It can be helpful to have a list of questions and some data on the service such as that described above.  The service is likely to have reference costs calculated as part of the national process linked to PbR and tariffs (as described earlier in this toolkit) and it is essential to know why your costs are higher or lower than other dietetic services.  The finance manager will be able to provide further guidance in the data needed.