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This briefing sets out details on the provider license introduced in April 2013 for Foundation Trusts and issued by Monitor as part of their responsibilities as a sector regulator. The license will also apply to other providers of NHS services from 2014. 

The way in which Monitor implements their new responsibilities may also affect nurses:

• The prices that are set need to include sufficient resourcing for quality nursing input. The RCN has already raised this issue with Monitor and the RCN hopes to build on our early engagement with Monitor over time. That work is supported by members who can tell us their experiences in patient level costing.
• Monitor could approve or block service changes. The view of Monitor to service changes, whether a merger or a different form of collaboration, will affect what can be done in practice. If Monitor is concerned about a negative impact on competition it could block change, conversely Monitor could be really supportive where Monitor is convinced that there is a sound, patient focused, case for change. This could affect those nurses who currently work for providers and how their roles may change as services are changed in the future.
• Monitor can enable integration. Nurses play a crucial role in the patient pathway and can support patients as they move between health and social care. Monitor can be an enabler to such changes (whilst also balancing this against competition issues).

For further information, please email papa.ukintl.dept@rcn.org.uk