An agreed level of national consistency is important so DHBs can meet the Government and Ministry’s minimum service expectations. National consistency also supports analysis, monitoring, and benchmarking of health and disability services, and comparison of DHBs’ performance.

The core components of the NSF include:

• the Crown Funding Agreement and its schedules Service Coverage Schedule and Operational Policy Framework
• Health Targets and other performance measures
• nationwide service specifications
• the Purchase Unit Data Dictionary
• the Ministry/DHB Common Chart of Accounts
• the Common Counting Standards and the Common Costing Standards
• common service agreement forms, the Streamlined Contracting Framework for NGOs
• clinical coding, Diagnostic Related Groups and cost weights.

This information is administered through the Ministry of Health’s Accountability Team.