NHS England has appointed five members to the independent patient choice and procurement panel.

The panel, chaired by Andrew Taylor, oversees complaints about the Provider Selection Regime which came into force on 1 January 2024, as well as patient choice, ensuring procurement processes for healthcare services are transparent, fair and proportionate.

Andrew Taylor

Previously Director of the NHS Cooperation and Competition Panel (CCP), an independent advisory panel, from 2008 to 2011, Andrew helped establish the panel and oversaw the application of choice and procurement rules to the NHS.  After leaving the CCP, Mr Taylor worked briefly for McKesson Europe, a healthcare technology business, before establishing Aldwych Partners, where he advised several NHS trusts on merger reviews and procurement related matters.

The panel members, selected through an open recruitment process, are:

Carole Begent

A qualified solicitor with over 30 years’ experience of competition and regulatory issues, and extensive experience conducting investigations under different legislative frameworks. She has held senior positions at the Competition and Markets Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator. Carole is currently appointed an ordinary member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Albert Sanchez-Graells

A professor of economic law specialising in competition law, public procurement and digital regulation. He has advised the Cabinet Office, and international bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Monetary Fund, and has extensively researched healthcare procurement and commissioning in England.

Alison Tonge

Operating at board level in NHS organisations for over 30 years with significant expertise in healthcare commissioning, strategy, finance and performance. She has focused on applying evidence-based improvement into practice and is currently supporting innovation across NHS organisations and with commercial partners.

Daria Prigioni

An economist specialising in competition economics with experience in the public and private sectors advising on NHS procurement and patient choice. She previously worked at the NHS Cooperation and Competition Panel, an independent advisory panel, and Monitor.

Sally Collier

Has an extensive background in senior leadership positions in procurement and regulation in the public sector. She was the first chief executive of the Cabinet Office buying agency, the Crown Commercial Service and has also served as chief regulator and chief executive of Ofqual.