§ Mr. BlizzardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he will put in place to avoid the risk of health care providers forming cartels under the policy of giving more choice to patients. [140618]
§ Mr. HuttonBy December 2005, primary care trusts (PCTs) will offer, at the point of general practitioner referral, a menu of four to five choices for patients who may require elective surgery. To do this, PCTs will commission services from an appropriate range of providers to secure real choices for their local populations; avoiding any potential for `cartels' being formed. The new national tariff will strengthen PCTs' position, making it easier for them to move activity and funding between providers.