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Wendy Savage and MP Frank Dobson at ULU |
‘I smell a rat!’ Tory calls for probe into US health contracts
Minister is quizzed over GPs’ surgeries meetings
THE shadow health secretary has called for an investigation into the decision to hand over the running of three Camden doctors’ surgeries to American health giant UnitedHealth.
Tory health spokesman Mike Penning MP believes health minister Ben Bradshaw may have persuaded the Camden Primary Care Trust to push ahead with accepting a bid from the profit-making company.
Mr Bradshaw, responding to a written Parliamentary question from Mr Penning, confirmed he had an off-the-record discussion with PCT bosses during an intense period when patients and doctors were calling for an immediate freeze on contract negotiations with the American company.
Mr Penning told the New Journal: “The key to me is to find out who was driving the decision to go ahead and hire UnitedHealth.
“I smell a rat. It may be there has been some interference in the decision. Ben Bradshaw admits some degree of contact with the PCT. I want to know in what capacity, and were there minutes taken? I was very surprised when they responded to my question. I will be tabling a series of Parliamentary questions now and making Freedom of Information requests.”
UnitedHealth, America’s largest healthcare provider, signed a contract with Camden PCT to run the King’s Cross, Camden Road and Brunswick surgeries in April.
The plan, announced in January, caused outcry among patients who argued they were not consulted about the tendering process.
UnitedHealth were awarded the contracts despite being out-scored by local doctors in the PCT’s own rating system.
The board of UnitedHealth is made up of a powerful mix of US health officials and former British government officials including Tony Blair’s health advisor Simon Stevens and Anthony Stephens, the private secretary to former health minister Alan Milburn.
At the time of Mr Bradshaw’s intervention, the PCT was under intense pressure from campaigners to hold a second public consultation on the future of the surgeries.
Responding to the parliamentary question on September 2, Mr Bradshaw confirmed he had “a short conversation with the chairman of Camden Primary Care Trust in preparation for a local political meeting”.
He added: “During conversation the chairman briefly touched on the PCT’s decision to award to UnitedHealth the contract for the management of the three GP practices.”
Although the UnitedHealth contract was awarded in January, it was not finalised and signed until April following efforts from campaigners to bring a high court action.
A spokeswoman for Camden PCT said: “The PCT has repeatedly made it clear that UnitedHealth were appointed as their bid offered the best services for our local population at the best value for money. The discussion [with Ben Bradshaw] took place in March 2008 and the contract was awarded in January 2008.”
At a packed meeting in the University London Union building in Bloomsbury on Thursday, Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson said American firms were leaning on the government to make inroads in the British healthcare system.
He said: “All three parties are very keen on getting in the private sector. There is huge American pressure.”
Mr Dobson, the former health secretary, also backed calls for a referendum over the privatisation of NHS services in Camden.
The PCT, which has already been linked to Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin brand, has written to Mr Dobson confirming that no surgeries would be “forced” to move to a new “super-surgery” polyclinic planned for the University College London Hospital in Bloomsbury.
But the Keep Camden GPs in the NHS campaign passed a vote of no-confidence in the PCT.
Leading gynaecologist Wendy Savage said: “The problem is that the PCT is not elected. We should target them to make the people on the board feel really uncomfortable.”
Doctors at four surgeries near the hospital have written to the PCT rejecting any attempt to move them into the UCLH.
Dr Denise Bevan, a partner at the Museum Practice for 20 years, said: “When doctors protest it is dismissed as in their own interests. Patients need to make their voices heard.” |
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