Nine GP practices in West London have quietly come underneath the management of a US personal health insurance firm, prompting fears of NHS privatisation.
The practices – in Fulham, White City, Kensington, Chelsea, Willesden, Harrow, Wembley and Maida Vale – are owned by AT Medics, initially arrange by NHS GPs in 2003.
AT Medics was taken over by Operose Health, the UK subsidiary of American health insurance large Centene Corporation.
Centene, whose income within the US was $111 billion in 2020, now has management of the NHS-funded contracts to run the surgeries.
The change was permitted by the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) boards in West London throughout conferences in late December.
Sign up for all the most recent London information to your e mail inbox right here.
After lately studying concerning the takeover, health campaigners and council chiefs have expressed fears it might result in unhelpful competitors between GPs for sufferers.
“Obviously the truth that we have now a US firm shopping for GP practices worries me as a result of it might imply that residents lose out,” mentioned Ben Coleman, (*9*) and Fulham Council’s cupboard member for health.
Mr Coleman defined how a revenue pushed service might be incentivised to “poach” youthful sufferers from different GP practices, and the way this could trigger monetary issues.
Councillor Ben Coleman, cupboard member for health and grownup social care in (*9*) and Fulham
(Image: (*9*) and Fulham Council)
“GPs are paid by the CCG for the variety of sufferers they’ve registered with them,” he mentioned.
“If you need to earn more money you attempt to have as many sufferers in your books as doable who don’t want to make use of you. So you wish to have youthful, fitter individuals in your books.
“GPs want a mixture of sufferers who don’t price them something to cross-subsidize the aged or much less wholesome sufferers who price them extra.”
A outstanding group of residents who campaigned to avoid wasting Charing Cross Hospital have been alarmed to listen to affirmation of the takeover in February, regardless of asking the CCG about it in December.
Jim Grealy, of (*9*) and Fulham Save Our NHS (HAFSON), mentioned the marketing campaign turned suspicious when leaflets have been put by way of residents’ doorways promoting for individuals to hitch the Cassidy Centre in Fulham, which he mentioned was “unusual”.
“This leaflet appeared to be fishing for patrons. The entire level of main care networks [groups of GP practices] is that nobody surgical procedure can do every part, in order that they cooperate,” he mentioned.
AT Medics, which additionally owns practices in east, south and north London, was approached for remark however there was no response.
An announcement from the CCG mentioned: “There was no authorized or contractual foundation for the CCG to reject the switch of management [of AT Medics to Operose] and it’ll not alter the service that’s required underneath the contract…
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
“As a part of a due diligence course of undertaken previous to contemplating the change in management we sought assurance that our sufferers and their care wouldn’t be affected. AT Medics Ltd suggested us that they are going to proceed to run the GP practices as they do now and sufferers will proceed to see the identical docs and nurses. Although over time there could also be some pure modifications in employees as individuals select to maneuver to new jobs.”
The 9 affected practices in north and west London embody:
-
Burnley Practice, Brent
-
The Wembley Practice, Brent
-
The Randolph Surgery, Maida Vale
-
Canberra Old Oak Surgery, White City
-
Cassidy Medical Centre, Fulham
-
Mollison Way Practice, Harrow
-
Barlby Surgery, North Kensington
-
Earls Court Health and Wellbeing, Earls Court
-
Kings Road Medical Centre, Chelsea
Mr Coleman (Labour) believes the takeover by Operose Health might be a “malicious program” that may see different personal corporations purchase up GPs practices.
He went on: “The method to get outcomes, like with the vaccination programme, has been GPs coming collectively.
“And for instance the council has been making an attempt to work with GPs to establish weak residents who can’t go away their properties and who must be vaccinated.”
If you’ve got a narrative on this situation that you simply wish to share with us, please e mail: [email protected]
