Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Fears over new NHS role for firms
Hospitals could be put under threat and the NHS fragmented by a plan to set up private centres
to take over simple procedures from hospitals, doctors say.

Health chiefs in the North West have become the first to start consulting on a new breed of
private clinics to carry out diagnostics and minor treatment.
The Clinical Assessment Treatment and Support centres have been designed to cut waiting lists, officials said.

But doctors warned they could starve hospitals of money.

The specialities covered by the proposed centres are ear, nose and throat, general surgery, orthopaedics, rheumatology and minor treatments, which combined contribute 80% of hospital workloads.

Similar schemes are expected to be put forward elsewhere in the country as the contracts are being negotiated by the Department of Health, with NHS trusts only expected to pay for the services patients use.

 They go a step further than the much-criticised independent sector treatment centres as they have the ability to carry out diagnostic tests.

Primary care trusts in Cumbria and Lancashire are carrying out an eight-week consultation over the centres which will be run by private firms, but paid for out of the NHS purse.

The two preferred bidders which have been chosen are Netcare and Care UK.

WELL WELL WELL, IT ALL COMES OUT NOW IN THE EFFORT OF CASH SAVING YET AGAIN.................BUT IN THE LONG TERM IT WONT..........................
WHEN PRIVATE COMPANIES GAIN CONTRACTS THEY "DO IT ON THE CHEAP" BUT WHAT THEY DO IS GRADUALLY RAISE THE COSTS OF THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE TO THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT THEY SERVICE AND CUT THE WAGES OF THE EMPLOYEES IN THE NAME OF PROFIT...............THIS HAS BEEN SEEN IN LOCALGOVERNMENT........
AND MOST HAVE GONE BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL FORMATS 

BY HAVING WORK DONE "IN HOUSE"................BE WARNED............DON'T DO IT........
KEEP IT LOCAL, KEEP IT NHS