Care UK, the UK’s biggest healthcare provider, has complained to Monitor about four clinical commissioning groups’ (CCGs) decision not to commission them and the watchdog has launched an investigation.
Care UK, the UK’s biggest healthcare provider, has complained to Monitor about four clinical commissioning groups’ (CCGs) decision not to commission them and the watchdog has launched an investigation.
This comes after Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge CCGs awarded a contract to the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, rather than Care UK.
Care UK was told on 30 June that its bid had been unsuccessful. On 3 July it lodged a complaint with Monitor about the tender process and the proposed pricing arrangements for the services.
In a statement, Care UK today said: “We welcome Monitor’s announcement of an investigation into the procurement process for the operation of the existing North East London NHS Treatment Centre, run successfully by Care UK since 2005.”
Care UK confirmed that it has raised concerns with Monitor and the local CCG “regarding the appropriateness of price competition for NHS tariff services, the loss of patient choice and the weighting and evaluation of clinical quality in the procurement process”.
The contract covers services including general surgery, orthopaedics and ophthalmology, for 965,000 people.
In response, the trust said in a statement: “Our bid demonstrated the very best value for money, meaning there will also be additional funds available to support the local health economy; a far better use of taxpayers’ money.
“We are extremely disappointed that this investigation is taking place and has delayed the opening of the King George Elective Care Centre for our patients,” they added.
Monitor has a duty to investigative claims of commissioners’ anti-competitive behaviour when commissioning services, unless it is in the interests of NHS health care service users, under regulation 10(1) of the Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition Regulations published in December 2013.
