As the Health and Social Care Bill goes to committee stage in the House of Lords, the RCP is calling for the government to guarantee that specialist doctors and nurses who sit on the boards of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) do not have to be from outside the local area. CCGs will need local knowledge to make the best commissioning decisions. CCGs should be able to appoint the best person for the job against a clear role specification. We also believe this will help to improve integrated working.
To strengthen collaboration across health, public health and social care, the RCP are recommending a duty of mutual cooperation and collaboration is given to the NHS Commissioning Board, CCGs, providers and local authorities. The RCP would like the government to clarify how and in what circumstances they anticipate competition would apply in the health service and whether EU procurement and competition law will apply.
The RCP will also be seeking amendments that we hope will ensure that NHS will be able to continue to train adequate numbers of doctors. We see this as part of the secretary of state’s duty to secure the provision of a comprehensive health service.
For further information, please contact Lisa Cunningham, Public Affairs Manager, on +44 (0)20 3075 1468 / 07990 745610, or email Lisa.cunningham@rcplondon.ac.uk