On 1 April, the Cooperation and Competition Panel will become Monitor's Cooperation and Competition Directorate.
For all cooperation and competition information, please now go to:
http://www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/monitors-new-role/cooperation-and-competition
Get to know the CCP
The CCP is currently an advisory panel to the Department of Health and Monitor. From April 2013 the CCP will be an integral part of Monitor whose main duty will be to protect and promote the interests of people who use health care services by promoting provision of health care services which is economic, efficient and effective, and maintains or improves the quality of the services.
The rules that currently govern co-operation and competition in the commissioning and provision of NHS services in England are set out in the Principles and Rules for Co-operation and Competition. While the substance of those rules will remain, from April 2013 the rules will be given a firmer statutory footing through the conditions of the provider licence and through secondary legislation imposing requirements on commissioners as to procurement, patient choice and competition. Monitor will have powers to enforce licence conditions and this secondary legislation imposing requirements on commissioners.
To enable it to carry out its role relating to safeguarding choice and preventing anti-competitive behaviour which is against patients’ interests, Monitor will have a co-operation and competition directorate. Monitor has announced that the Executive Director of Co-operation and Competition will be Catherine Davies, who is currently Director of the CCP. The CCP’s Panel members, Lord Carter of Coles (Chairman), Guy Beringer QC, Laura Carstensen, Dame Janet Husband, Peter Smith, John Swift QC and John Wotton will continue to provide independent advice to Monitor.
Guide to the CCP
The CCP has produced a short guide to the CCP setting out what the CCP does, how the CCP does it and the ways in which parties can engage most constructively with the CCP in carrying out its work.
See the guide here
What's New
9 April
A Phase II assessment has been opened today into the merger by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust of certain parts of their organisations. Further information can be found here here
22 March
Today the CCP published three notes to provide more clarity on how competition rules apply to different aspects of health care services. These notes capture the CCP's experience in dealing with competition issues in healthcare over the last four years. From April 2013 the CCP will be an integral part of Monitor and these notes will inform the preparation of Monitor's guidance on the exercise of its competition related powers. These notes focus on the implications of the competition rules for: agreements between providers, clinical networks and the unilateral conduct of providers. These notes can be found here
6 March
Today the CCP published its report on the merger of NHS Milton Keynes' provider services arm with Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, further details can be found here
