GPs have been passed over for the chairmanship of the NHS Commissioning Board by the health secretary after he named academic Professor Malcolm Grant as his preferred candidate.

The NHS Commissioning Board should make a ‘grand gesture’ and appoint a GP as its chair to usher in the new era of GP commissioning, according to a senior GP leader.

Controversial health regulator Monitor has vowed to crackdown on collusion in NHS commissioning, in a move to quell fears that GP commissioners and service providers could 'collude' to monopolise care.