NHS sees increased competition with any qualified provider

<p>Any Qualified Provider (AQP) is a way of commissioning services that opens up the NHS to a huge range of different providers.<br /><br />Patients will choose from a list of providers for a growing number of healthcare services. <br /><br />So, for example, when a patient visits their GP for a certain condition, if the service they require falls under AQP the patient will be given a list of different providers who may provide their care.<br /><br />The government has stated that each primary care trust or group of primary care trusts must choose three or more community or mental health services in their geographic area where services must be offered to patients through the AQP model. <br /><br/>This will be implemented between April and Sept 2012.<br /><br />UNISON is concerned about the government’s policy of ‘Any Qualified Provider’. <br/><br />Providers will be expected to compete for patients on a continuous basis with no guarantees of volume of work for them. <br /><br />This will create huge instability for patients and for staff and if a provider goes bust because there is not enough work, TUPE may not apply. <br/><br />Also, this move will almost certainly increase the number of profit-driven companies that provide health care.<br /><br />If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the UNISON health group at health@unison.co.uk.</p>