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Keep Camden GPs in Camden chairwoman Candy Udwin |
Storm brews over out-of-hours GPs
Health chiefs warned that bids by private firms to run service will spark patients’ revolt
HEALTH chiefs have been warned they will face another public backlash if they test patients’ goodwill by putting Camden’s out-of-hours doctor services out to private tender.
Campaigners want Camden’s Primary Care Trust (PCT) to ignore government advice that the service should be “market tested” and instead stick with Camidoc, a not-for-profit co-operative. Their appeal comes on the heels of a heady privatisation row which pitched PCT board members against patients and doctors over the decision to allow American-owned company UnitedHealth, rather than local GPs, to run three practices in the south of the borough.
PCT chairman Dr John Carrier told a board meeting on Monday at St Pancras Hospital in Somers Town – a session inundated by members of the public – that objections would be considered.
But he added that the board could not guarantee the out-of-hours service would not eventually be put out to tender.
“We will consider everything that has been said in consultation,” he said. “We don’t give an inch to anyone on the principles of high-quality service and the ideals of the National Health Service.”
Dr Carrier is now considering requests for a full-scale public meeting on the issue. More than 200 people have already written to the PCT with worries about the potential change.
Even members of the PCT board have raised concerns about the wisdom of going straight into a search for alternative providers to the Camidoc service
David Metz, one of its directors, told Monday’s meeting that the timing could be a problem because patients would soon be using new GP units on the front desks of the Royal Free and University College hospitals.
“It would be difficult to go out to tender at this time when we don’t know how widely the service is going to be used in the future,” he said.
Camidoc, which also covers Islington, Hackney and Haringey, is effectively used by 900,000 patients. Protesters fear the lucrative contract would entice private operators.
Candy Udwin, chairwoman of Keep Camden GPs in the NHS, said: “We believe that once Camden patients and residents understand that competitive tendering may lead to the transfer of GPs to private profit-making companies they are overwhelmingly against it. The point is you don’t even have to go out to tender.”
Camden Council’s health scrutiny committee – which was criticised for not acting sooner when UnitedHealth seized control of surgeries – discussed the issue on Thursday night and were greeted by a deputation of patients.
Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Jo Shaw said: “There have been no major complaints about the service. There are many ways of ensuring best value other than tendering.”
Health campaigner John Lipetz, a former councillor, said: “Because Camidoc is a co-operative, it means the majority of GPs are local. The quality is there and people trust them – that is why there have been no complaints.
“We could lose this with a company that is only interested in satisfying its shareholders.”
The committee agreed to call on the PCT to explain why the tendering process is being considered. It has also asked that, if the contract goes on the market, health chiefs should pick a provider with a “strong local track record”. |
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