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Camden News - by TOM FOOT
Published: 2 October 2008

Candy Udwin

GPs in fight for their jobs

Doctors form new company in bid to drive off private companies

DOCTORS across Hampstead have banded together to prevent giant healthcare companies taking their work away from them.
Partners at 11 GP surgeries believe they will have to compete with global firms bidding for contract work with the Royal Free Hospital in Pond Street.
They have formed their own company, Haverstock Healthcare Limited – a strictly not-for-profit operation – in the hope they will still be selected to provide a range of outpatient services for the hospital.
Unlike larger private healthcare companies such as United Health or Virgin Healthcare, the doctors say their company will not give profits to shareholders.
The preemptive move has, however, raised concerns among health campaigners who believe GPs will not be able to compete with bigger firms when contracts are offered for tender in the future.
Dr Caroline Sayer, a partner at the Adelaide Medical Centre and secretary of the new company, said: “We feel vulnerable as practices.
“If a large company sets up a centre in the Royal Free our practices may not be viable.
“So we have set up a company called Haverstock Healthcare Limited.
“We will face competition from the private sector, that’s a given. But if we cannot compete then patients will be entitled to go elsewhere.”
Camden Primary Care Trust is attempting to open a North Camden Polyclinic on the first floor of the Royal Free hospital.
The agreed model would mean patients visiting a “hub” in the hospital for diagnosis, before being redirected to the 11 surgeries for treatment.
The participating surgeries would provide a range of hospital outpatient services – such as ophthalmology and gynecology – under the plans that are designed to free up hospital waiting times. It is seen as an operating system which is ripe for a large company to takeover.
In April, American firm UnitedHealth won the contract to run three Camden surgeries by offering a cheaper bid than local doctors.
And Camidoc, the popular not-for-profit co-operative of doctors running a GPs out-of-hours service, is also facing a contract review next year.
Candy Udwin, of the Keep Camden GPs in the NHS group, said: “I think the GPs have got a gun to their head and we should support their plans.
“But we have to watch out that we do not open up the market for firms like UnitedHealth or Virgin.
“We welcome the not-for-profit model being proposed here. But there is no guarantee that their contract will not be put up for tender at a later date.
“We have to put pressure on the PCT to make those guarantees.”

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