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UK: As OFT criticized over healthcare merger review, law change remains possibility

By  |  July 8, 2013

Since the sole responsibility of assessing mergers between foundation trusts and NHS trusts landed with the Office of Fair Trading thanks to the 2012 Health Act, members of the UK’s healthcare community have expressed concern that the regulatory hand in the process of NHS mergers is too heavy and could take too long. Reports say health secretary Jeremy Hunt recently expressed his concerns over the regulation to a committee held last week and confirmed he would consider a legislative change if a “serious problem” arises in the way mergers are reviewed. Regulators are currently probing a merger between foundation trusts Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals and Poole Hospital and, in response, the healthcare sector has largely criticized regulators for acting too slow.

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