Publications

The policy documents below set out the basis of the Department of Health's approach towards managing co-operation, competition and competition-related activity in the NHS.

The Principles and Rules for Co-operation and Competition

The Principles and Rules, issued by the Department of Health, provide guidance for system managers, commissioners and providers on the expected behaviours and rules governing cooperation and competition, in the provision of NHS. The previous Principles and Rules applied until 1 October 2010 and can be found here, after that time the revised Principles and Rules apply.

Revised Principles and Rules for Cooperation and Competition with
application from 1 October 2010 [2 MB]

CCP Prioritisation Criteria

This document explains how the CCP will prioritise its work to make the best use of its resources and provide the highest quality advice to the Department of Health and Monitor.

CCP Prioritisation Criteria [291kb]

Statement of Prioritisation: Transforming Community Services [444kb]

TCS GP Prioritisation Statement [490kb]

Primary Care Trust Procurement Guide for Health Services

The procurement guide, issued by the Department of Health, supports NHS commissioners in deciding whether and how to procure health services through formal tendering and market testing.

Primary Care Trust Procurement Guide for Health Services [1.6 MB]

Code of Practice for the Promotion of NHS-funded services

The Code of Practice deals with issues around the promotion of NHS-funded services that fall outside the remit of other advertising codes.

Code of Practice for the Promotion of NHS-funded services [295 KB]

CCP Guidelines

The guidance documents set out our approach to our procedure and the four different types of cases that we will consider.

Merger guidelines[509kb]

Conduct guidelines[571kb]

Procurement dispute appeal guidelines[648kb]

Advertising and misleading information dispute guidelines[926kb]

Department of Health NHS Monitor