09.11.12
Providers concerned about commissioning – Monitor
Commissioning has been highlighted as the most common concern by participants in Monitor’s Fair Playing Field review.
The initial findings of the review have now been published, and respondents are concerned that commissioners are not tendering as much as they can, making it difficult for new providers to enter the market and develop new services.
Concern was also raised about poor commissioning procedures which favour incumbents at the expense of potential new bidders. The review suggests that commissioners only invite tender submissions for 3% of services outside the scope of the National Choice policy.
Under payment by results, the operation of the National Choice policy now accounts for 46% of the total £88bn commissioning budget.
Toby Lambert, strategy and policy director at Monitor said: “Providers appear to be raising questions about the availability of opportunities for them to tender for patient services and we intend to investigate this as part of the review.”
David Bennett, chief executive, said: “A number of commentators and stakeholders have speculated about who wins and who loses under current arrangements. However, I would like to be clear that our work is fundamentally driven by what is best from the perspective of patients and the services they use. That will be the benchmark against which we test our findings and develop recommendations.”
The report is at: www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Monitor%20-%20Fair%20Playing%20Field%20Review%20Discussion%20Paper%20-final.pdf
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