In the Co-operation and Competition Directorate at Monitor, we offer informal advice to anyone who asks a question about how the rules around patient choice and competition might apply to their particular case.
This could be a commissioner asking how they can make sure their plans to introduce a prime contractor are compliant with the regulations, or a provider asking for advice when they are considering a transaction that might be a merger.
We find the right people to answer your question
We have about 30 ‘live’ queries at any one time – some of which will require interaction over a period of months – and we put together a team of people to deal with the issue.
The team might include clinicians, lawyers, economists or policy specialists and the aim is to help those on the frontline to resolve issues quickly and effectively.
What people ask us
We most often get asked about:
- how the commissioning rules apply when working to jointly commission with local authorities
- tendering – how to do it and what to look out for
- how to apply the Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition Regulations to integrated care
- managing conflicts of interest
- patient choice
- whether a competitive tender is necessary in a particular instance
- how providers and commissioners can work together to develop services without falling foul of the rules
We are here to help
We want to use this blog to share some of our conclusions about the common issues that people are dealing with every day. We hope that by making public the sort of advice we have given patients, commissioners and providers we can help others to work confidently and effectively within the rules.
Our approach is to help people do the right thing rather than punishing them for doing the wrong thing. So those who think that “Monitor won’t let them” might be surprised to hear that we are keen to work with people on the front line to drive positive change – not just investigate when things go wrong.
Talk to us
You can ask for advice by phone or email – our team's contact details are in the right hand menu.
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