Supporting NHS providers considering transactions and mergers
These guidance documents will help NHS providers navigate their way through a transaction such as a merger or acquisition.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
NHS providers considering a merger are urged to contact Monitor early in their planning to ensure proposals work well for patients.
Monitor will then provide expert support at an early stage to help foundation trusts understand whether a particular merger is the best way forward and makes sense from quality, operational, financial and (where relevant) choice and competition perspectives.
This new approach applies to joint ventures and major investments as well as mergers and acquisitions, and is set out in a suite of resources published today. These guidance documents are not a replacement for contacting Monitor early to discuss your individual case and receive tailored advice.
Contact Monitor
Foundation trusts with questions about the transactions guidance should contact their regional manager.
For questions about the mergers guidance, contact cooperationandcompetition@monitor.gov.uk.
For any other questions, contact enquiries@monitor.gov.uk
Transactions guidance
This guidance is for NHS foundation trusts considering a significant transaction. It:
- explains Monitor’s approach to risk assessing transactions in more detail than ever before
- describes how to access informal support relating to choice and competition by engaging with Monitor early
- outlines good practice in complying with the regulatory framework for transactions including mergers and acquisitions
Merger benefits guidance
This guidance is for NHS organisations planning a merger.
It also explains how Monitor will assess and provide advice to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on the benefits of mergers involving NHS foundation trusts. It covers:
- Monitor’s role in relation to merger benefits
- what is a relevant patient benefit
- how the CMA will take our advice into account
- our approach to assessing merger benefits
- examples of types of merger benefits
Competition review of NHS mergers: a short guide for managers of NHS providers
This short guide seeks to answer the questions merging providers often ask about the UK merger review process. It is designed to highlight important aspects of the process of merger review and provide an overview of the substantive test. It is not intended to be comprehensive.
For further detail please refer to more in-depth guidance that the CMA and Monitor have published.
Consultation response: Monitor’s draft guidance on merger benefits
This describes the healthcare sector’s response to Monitor’s draft guidance and explains the changes made to the final guidance documents.
Podcast on the guidance
You can listen to Monitor’s podcast Supporting NHS providers considering transactions and mergers to hear Director of Provider Appraisal Miranda Carter and Executive Director of Co-operation and Competition Catherine Davies talk about the guidance.
Last updated 26 August 2015 + show all updates
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We've published guidance for transactions involving new care models.
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The transactions document was updated 26 March 2015 to include revised guidance on the timing of council of governor elections for trusts undertaking mergers or acquisitions.
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First published.