What is an IHO?

Capitated contract: An agreement whereby a fixed sum is allocated per patient within a defined geography to cover their care needs, rather than by the volume or type of services provided. The IHO contract is a form of capitated contract commissioned by an ICB to a ‘host provider’. 

Host provider: An organisation holding a contract with a commissioner, typically for a specific service within a defined geography. The host provider is responsible for delivering or coordinating that service on behalf of a collaborative group of providers. Often referred to as a ‘lead provider’. The 10 Year Health Plan states the host provider will be an ‘advanced’ high-performing NHS foundation trust (FT) and will ‘always and only ever be an NHS body’. Advanced FTs will not differ in legal or structural form to existing FTs. 

Delivery contract: A sub-contractual agreement between the host provider and partner providers within a geographically defined population. It covers the provision of acute, primary (with exception of nationally commissioned contracts), community, mental health and neighbourhood services and can be delivered by statutory or non-statutory organisations.