Monitor’s Advice to the OFT and the New Healthcare Regulation

(by Mary Guy)[1] On 11 February, Monitor (the UK’s independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts) published its advice to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) regarding the anticipated merger of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (hereafter “the Dorset FT merger”). This is the first NHS merger to be assessed on competition grounds under the Enterprise Act 2002 (EA02) merger provisions as implemented by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (HSCA 2012). It has been referred by the OFT to the Competition Commission (CC), which will produce its final report by June 24, 2013.