News on 29 September 2000
The Business Services Association responded to Alan Milburn’s announcement at the Labour Party conference on Wednesday by saying the ending of Compulsory Competitive Tendering will not in itself be enough to improve standards in the NHS.
BSA’s director-general Norman Rose said: "We welcome the abolition of CCT. Cheapest is rarely best, and nobody can deny that standards of cleanliness and service provision in our hospitals have declined under this regime. We recognise that high standards in these areas are central to the wellbeing of patients, and there are many problems to be addressed."
The guidance to be published under ‘Value for Patients’ will help ensure the basis for all future decisions is quality and value for money, rather than cheapest price. Rose believes it is what works best that matters, not who provides the services.
Rose continued: "Private sector companies have a vital role to play in supporting the drive for better healthcare provision for the nation. Neither public nor private sectors can provide the whole solution; our skills are complementary, and each is part of the system rather than the whole answer.
"A flexible approach, utilising the best of private sector innovation and business expertise alongside the experience of NHS staff to suit the local situation, is the best way to address the challenge of raising standards within the NHS. Patients deserve the best, and we in the private sector will work with Government and the Health Service to ensure that this is achieved."
