Its role is to help ensure that the Principles and Rules of Co-operation and Competition (PPRC) for the provision of NHS-funded services support the delivery of high quality care for patients and value for money for taxpayers.
The CCP may consider four types of cases:
Visit www.ccpanel.org.uk for more information.
Where cases relate to NHS foundation trusts, the Panel will make an independent recommendation to Monitor (or to the Department of Health in relation to other NHS providers and commissioners). Monitor’s Board will then decide what action it will take. Monitor can also refer a competition issue to the CCP for examination.
Monitor, together with the Department of Health, jointly asked the Co-operation and Competition Panel to carry out a study which examined restrictions on NHS consultants’ ability to work for alternative providers of NHS-funded services during their non-contracted hours. This followed concerns raised with both Monitor and the Department around whether these restrictions are preventing providers from offering new services, which could potentially have an adverse effect on patient choice and competition.
The Co-operation and Competition Panel’s report on consultants’ use of non-contracted hours provides helpful guidance to NHS foundation trusts on this issue. Monitor and the Department of Health asked the CCP to carry out this study after concerns were raised around whether restrictions on consultants’ ability to work for other providers of NHS-funded services in their non-contracted hours were preventing choice and competition and therefore harming patient and taxpayers' interests.
The CCP report finds that in most cases restrictions can be expected to have an adverse effect on patients and taxpayers. The CCP has set out two specific scenarios in which patient choice and competition would not be negatively impacted by restrictions being imposed: these relate to protecting patient safety and where consultants have a strategic role in a competing organisation.
The report offers clear guidance about the CCP’s views on compliance with the Principles and Rules of Co-operation. NHS organisations, including foundation trusts should consider this guidance to inform their view on any restrictions they currently have in place. Monitor and the Department of Health will now jointly consider the implications of these recommendations for the NHS.