Commissioning of healthcare through competitive and cooperative mechanisms under the HSCA 2012

Chapter 6 reports a longitudinal study of commissioners’ (and providers’) use of competition and cooperation. This chapter reports research which aimed to investigate how commissioners in local health systems managed the interplay of competition and cooperation in their local health economies, looking at acute, mental health and community health services. The understanding of the regulatory context of the NHS market by both commissioners and providers of care was unclear. There were differences between local areas in terms of the volume and mode of using competition as a commissioning mechanism, with some having more enthusiasm for and experience in running competitive procurements than others. Commissioners noted that the procurement process was very resource intensive. By 2018 there was a marked decline in the appetite to use competition, especially for large scale service reconfigurations. Collaborative planning involving key local providers was a preferred way for CCG commissioners to approach large commissioning tasks.