Shropdoc decision sent for national level review

A decision to take the out-of-hours GP contract away from Shropdoc has been passed up to a national independent panel for review.

Commissioners at NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin confirmed that reference to the NHS England Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel was made at the beginning of April.

It is understood that the representations made to the local panel have been accepted for consideration by the NHS England Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel.

NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin says that this is part of the nationally mandated process, called the Provider Selection Regime.

It confirms that NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin will fully comply with any requests or recommendations made by the panel.

There remains a “standstill period” in the contract while the national panel completes its review.

A furore erupted earlier this year after it was announced that NHS STW had confirmed the contract was intended to go to Wiltshire-based Medvivo.

There are five members of the independent patient choice and procurement panel.

It is chaired by Andrew Taylor, previously Director of the NHS Cooperation and Competition Panel (CCP), an independent advisory panel, from 2008 to 2011.

He has also advised several NHS trusts on merger reviews and procurement-related matters.

The panel members, selected through an open recruitment process, are: solicitor Carole Begent, economic law professor Albert Sanchez-Graells; healthcare commissioning expert Alison Tonge, specialist economist Daria Prigioni, and former Ofqual chief executive Sally Collier

The panel only provides advice and any final decision that NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin makes could could be subject to a claim for judicial review.

Health chiefs in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin anticipate that a decision it could take several weeks for a decision to be made.

Pic: Picture: LDRS