Since the publication of the white paper it has been clear that the transition to GP-led commissioning will require many of those involved to quickly get to grips with new roles and responsibilities.
Two important areas with which those leading commissioning consortia will need to be familiar are approaches to procurement and the management of competition in the NHS.
The aim of this Briefing is to provide an initial overview of procurement and competition rules that apply to NHS commissioning and some of the ways in which they can be used to best effect. It is designed for individuals with an interest in GP-led commissioning and who wish to understand more about the relevance and the importance of procurement and competition to their current or future roles.
A short summary version of this document is also available for those requiring a high level introduction to the issues.