Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast 101: Private Eye's Privat-ised
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Mar 20, 2024 Exploring implications of NHS privatization, challenges of private providers in NHS treatment, concerns and support for physician associates, staff concerns in gender identity services, promoting patient safety, and healthcare priorities in political manifestos.
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Private Providers Cherry Pick Easy NHS Work
- NHS outsourcing often cherry-picks low-risk, high-volume work which leaves complex cases to NHS hospitals.
- Phil Hammond cites cataracts and psychiatry examples where private providers take easy cases and training responsibility is lost, undermining NHS capacity.
Publish NHS Contract Costs And Hold Providers Accountable
- Follow the money and require transparency on NHS contracts and outcomes to assess value for public spend.
- Hammond recommends publishing precise costs for procedures and ensuring private providers pay for NHS intensive care when complications occur.
High Volume Hubs Cut Waiting Lists Quickly
- Massive surgical hubs running round-the-clock can reduce waiting lists by concentrating volume.
- Hammond notes similar high-volume models work in India for hernias and heart surgery, often using highly trained non-doctor technicians.