780.The power to include special licence conditions under subsection (1) is designed to address issues specific to particular licence holders, in situations where it would be problematic to define a description of relevant licences and applicable conditions, and hence to use standard licence conditions alone. For example, Monitor could use this provision to set licence conditions for a provider to secure continuity of NHS services in particular circumstances that Monitor considered were not captured within the standard licence conditions. Also by way of example, Monitor may set special licence conditions for a foundation trust (or other provider) which it considered were necessary in response to risks it identified; or to set special conditions prospectively so that those conditions would come into effect when interventions to secure the continuity of those services were required.
781.Monitor is able to include a special condition (or modify an existing one) if the applicant or licence holder consents. If that party does not agree and Monitor still wants the special condition or modification to be included in the licence, it may under section 101, make a reference to the Competition Commission, which will then investigate the appropriateness of including the special condition or making the modification.
782.Before including a special condition, or modifying one, Monitor must to comply with the notice requirements in subsections (2) to (5).