New report shows benefits of healthcare groups over formal mergers

The NHS Confederation has published a paper suggesting that the NHS would benefit from more collaborations and fewer mergers between healthcare providers.

According to the report, current reforms of the NHS are leading to more organisations entering into formal organisational mergers – despite the health service having a historically poor track record of achieving its goals through this approach.

Rather than risking declines in morale and productivity by taking this approach, the confederation proposes that targeted alliances, time-limited partnerships and collaborative working can deliver better outcomes.

The overall purpose of the report is to emphasise the fact that mergers are not the only way of achieving more joined-up working and economies of scale.

NHS Confederation chief executive Mike Farrar said: "The new options for governing through healthcare groups set out in this paper can strengthen rather than reduce the connections to local people and help maintain safe local services."

Earlier this week, the organisation called for radical solutions to be employed to address the current crisis affecting the UK's urgent and emergency care system.