Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) membership is and (b) terms of reference are of the NHS England Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel; and whether that panel will be guided by the public procurement rules on value for money.

The Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel is a non-statutory administrative arrangement established to help resolve disputes about the application of the Provider Selection Regime. The membership of the panel is publicly available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/how-commissioning-is-changing/nhs-provider-selection-regime/independent-patient-choice-and-procurement-panel/panel-members/

The panel has its own terms of reference, which were agreed by NHS England, the Department, and the Cabinet Office, and which are publicly available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/terms-of-reference-the-independent-patient-choice-and-procurement-panel/

Whilst the Provider Selection Regime and the panel's terms of reference do not specifically reference the public procurement rules on value for money, value for money is a central pillar of the Provider Selection Regime, with requirements for integrated care boards (ICBs) to consider the value for money of healthcare services and the procurement approach they pursue. Where relevant, the panel takes this into consideration. If the panel finds that an ICB has not acted consistently with the regulations, it advises on the proportionate steps to remedy the issue.