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US firms in picture to run GP surgeries
Fears big corporations will swoop on short-term contracts
GIANT American corporations could soon be controlling locally-run GPs surgeries, it is feared.
The New Journal has learned that care for thousands of patients could fall into the hands of private contractors under proposals announced by Camden’s governing health authority, Camden Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Doctors and patient groups have criticised the plans fearing giant American corporations will swoop in to take advantage of short-term contracts to run King’s Cross Road surgery, Camden Road Surgery and Brunswick Medical Centre.
One doctor has accused the trust of attempting to “privatise the NHS by the back door”.
But trust chief executive Rob Larkman said: “Of the 44 surgeries in Camden, these are the only ones we directly manage. Our primary function is as a commissioning organisation.”
Although he couldn’t guarantee large American corporations would be ruled out of the process, he added: “GP practices are already private businesses and we’re not necessarily looking for a multi-national conglomerate coming in to Camden, we’re looking for high quality proposals for the provision of these services to local patients, which is why we’re consulting on the way we select the preferred bidders.”
Trust board members discussed on Monday how the three PCT-managed centres will be marketed to get the best applicants and discussed the consultation process.
The board will guarantee to put at least £1.1 million worth of business to the winning bidder or bidders for the three surgeries.
John Lister of NHS pressure group London Health Emergency said: “It’s like your local newsagents being taken over by Tesco – from being part of the community you get multinational corporations to come in, take three-year contracts and make as much money as they can. If they don’t like it, they can clear off, there’s no commitment to roots in the community.”
One Camden GP said: “It’s important we provide good continuity and by having the good old traditional model of GP surgeries we have that. It’s more like a community than a commercial project and that’s the value of GPs surgeries.”
He added: “We know the community – these are the soft touches people don’t see from the commercial side.
“There’s a mood to privatise the NHS by the back door.”
He also suggested doctors had little knowledge of the plans and felt they were being “kept in the dark”.
And there are fears plans to discuss tendering with patients will be a whitewash. PCT patient forum member Janet Albu said the board’s consultation documents were “inaccessible” to the ordinary person.
Ms Albu issued a statement with PCT patient forum chairman Neil Woodrick, saying: “We are concerned the documents are jargon filled and difficult to understand. The possibility that health in Camden could be run by large commercial corporations whose motives are likely to be profit rather than patient benefit concerns us: they would be far less transparent and accountable to the patients.”
Patients registered to Cliff Road Practice will also be affected after the PCT announced plans to close the surgery and absorb the patient register into Camden Road Practice – one of the three contracts out to tender.
The PCT has also announced plans to merge Solent Road and Mill Lane practice in West Hampstead – and has revealed it could also be put out to tender if current plans fall through.
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