One of the most serious affects of outsourcing in the NHS that has been observed is a decline in the quality and safety of care. Quality and safety are linked … Read more
GPs
The collapse of multiple contracts held by Allied Healthcare and its subsidiaries has led to four clinical commissioning groups appointing new organisations to run GP out of hours services. In … Read more
Only two doctors were left to cover out-of-hours GP services in an area with a population of more than 1.4 million, it has been reported. GPs’ leaders condemned the situation … Read more
Thousands of patients could be left without GP out of hours services after a cash-strapped private provider said it would cease operations by the end of the month. Primecare, a … Read more
All safety restrictions on the type of patients GP at Hand can deliver care to have been lifted following a review by NHS England. The list of conditions previously deemed … Read more
Capita failed to deliver over 47,000 cervical cancer screening letters to patients – an issue it knew about two months before informing NHS England. The private company admitted to Pulse … Read more
More than 40,000 women have not received information on cervical cancer screening after the NHS contractor Capita failed to send out letters. The problem, which occurred between January and June, affected 43,200 … Read more
The Observer has revealed that profit-driven firms are squeezing traditional GPs out of running family doctor services because of rules that NHS bosses and ministers both believe harm patient care. … Read more
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned adverts for Babylon Health’s smartphone app that promise to let patients “see an NHS GP in minutes for free”. The private health firm … Read more
Over 750 practices could close within the next five years because they are relying on GPs approaching retirement, the RCGP has warned. The college fears that this would have a … Read more
A GP practice has been forced to cut back on staff after Capita reclaimed thousands of pounds without explanation or notice, it has claimed. The Court Street Medical Practice, based … Read more
One of the largest GP partnerships in England has brought on Push Doctor to provide its patients with online consultations Modality Partnership, which serves around 400,000 patients, has announced it … Read more
Pulse reports that GPs warn that private online providers are creating competition between NHS practices and this is threatening the loss of both patients and staff and could lead to … Read more
The Guardian reports that record numbers of suspected cancer patients are facing delays before starting their treatment amid growing pressure on increasingly overstretched NHS services for the disease. In the … Read more
Full Story: BBC, 25 July 2018 The report by the the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says it meant thousands of GPs, dentists and opticians had been delayed in treating patients. … Read more
NHS England’s outsourcing of primary care support services was short-sighted, disruptive to thousands of medical professionals, and had the potential to put patients at “risk of serious harm,” MPs have … Read more
Matt Hancock has backed the expansion of GP consultations via smartphone, just days after local commissioners blocked an expansion of a major digital practice citing patient safety. The new health secretary … Read more
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, in his first speech since being appointed to the role, has said that the NHS should ‘harness’ new technology such as Babylon’s GP at Hand … Read more
Babylon Health, the company that provides the GP at Hand service for the NHS, has claimed its app is able to provide clinical advice to patients that is ‘on par’ … Read more
Patients should be charged for GP and hospital visits, leading doctors say. The British Medical Association (BMA) will vote next week on whether to lobby the Government to introduce alternative … Read more
