ACEVO: Donations to hospital charities could become part of NHS budget...
and "NHS Preferred Provider" update.
ACEVO is currently fighting two important campaigns on Department of Health policy. Firstly, at the end of 2009 ACEVO took a case to the Co-operation and Competition Panel, arguing that Andy Burnham's statement that "the NHS is our preferred provider" has led to anti-competitive behaviour contrary to Department of Health policy. In a significant step, today the Co-operation and Competition Panel has confirmed that it intends to investigate the case. You can see more on the Panel's website and read coverage of the issue in the Financial Times and Third Sector. This is an important test case for ACEVO members working in health, and we will keep you up to date with progress.
Secondly, you will have seen coverage in the media about the Department of Health's plans to consolidate the accounts of NHS charities, which could see donations to hospital charities becoming part of the NHS budget. This amounts to a nationalisation of charity monies, and I have been arguing strongly against the move in the media. ACEVO have also written to the Secretary of State for Health urging him to review the decision and to the Charity Commission asking them to resist the move. You can see coverage of the issue in the Times, Daily Mail, BBC news.