Investigation into integrated care pilot:
Healthcare Market News - One of the Department of Health’s (DH) 16 integrated care pilot schemes is to be investigated by the Co-operation and Competition Panel (CCP), to see if it breaches merger, choice and competition rules.

The pilot under investigation is the planned merger into one entity of City Hospitals Sunderland Foundation Trust and local primary care provider Church View Medical Practice, whereby the Trust will directly employ the staff of the GP practice.

The CCP will use the Sunderland case to test assumptions and concerns about vertical integration and assess whether the planned arrangement has a material adverse effect on patients and taxpayers and the extent to which the scheme may limit patient choice. However, any benefits that may arise from the arrangement will also be considered.

Submissions from interested parties have been invited by the CCP, the closing date for which is June 26th. It is hoped the investigation will be completed by August 7th, with the proviso of a Phase 2 investigation continuing to November 30th if the issues are deemed sufficiently complex to warrant this.
Robert Potter (23/06/2009)

Copyright © Laing & Buisson 2007