This book provides a unique resource about research on commissioning in the United Kingdom's National Health Service. Using the outputs of an eight-year research project on commissioning, the book supports a greater understanding of how commissioning operates and how it can improve services and access, increase effectiveness and respond better to patient needs. The book covers a wide range of issues in commissioning and health service organization including the development and operation of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), commissioning through competition and cooperation, the use of contractual mechanisms in commissioning, and the commissioning infrastructure for public health.