Government plans to increase choice and competition in the National Health Service (NHS) will be implemented from April 2012 and will affect services for all age groups. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the NHS Confederation recently expressed concerns that this approach might impede integration and coordination of care for younger patients. They recommend that 'the Any Qualified Provider policy should only be used for child healthcare services where there are clear benefits to patients'.In support of the reforms, the government has presented evidence that patients are in favour of a greater choice2 and that competition between providers leads to better outcomes.3 This article reviews the strength of this evidence in relation to children and young people.
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