BMA warns against expanding private health care

Despite welcome record investment in the NHS in recent years, the quality of patient care may be compromised by the continued expansion of the role of the independent sector, the BMA has warned today, as it publishes its evidence to the Parliamentary Labour Party Health Committee (PLPHC).

In its submission to the PLPHC’s inquiry into the progress of NHS reform and the role of private sector providers, the BMA raises the following concerns: insufficient public consultation on the implications of reform for the NHS; inadequate engagement with the profession in shaping the direction of reform; lack of data on quality and cost efficiency of the independent sector’s provision of NHS care; risk to continuity of patient care and lack of integration of new providers into the NHS; threat to training for junior doctors as services are transferred from NHS hospitals to the independent sector; and failure to create a level playing field between the independent sector and conventional NHS providers.

Dr Paul Miller, chairman of the BMA’s consultants’ committee, said: “This Government has invested impressive amounts of new money into the NHS and the extra capacity provided by the independent sector has the potential to help reduce waiting times even further for patients. But sadly, the programme of reform, as is currently being implemented, threatens to destroy what already works well in the NHS.

“Pushing forward an agenda with a mix of independent sector and conventional NHS providers, without properly assessing where the extra capacity is needed and how it is to be integrated with existing structures, risks fragmenting NHS services and losing continuity of care for patients.”

(GB)