Patients left without medication
A number of patients in Cornwall were left without urgent medication when pharmacists were unable to contact the out-of-hours doctors' service.
Prescriptions which should have been faxed to chemists failed to arrive and pharmacists could
not contact Serco's Kernow Urgent Care by phone.
Cornwall Primary Care Trust (PCT) has apologised for the difficulties over the Christmas
and New Year period.
It said Serco now has a dedicated hotline for health professionals.
Contract review
It has revised the expected numbers of calls at certain times and is increasing staffing and phone lines.
Patients' watchdogs and a paramedics' union have called for the county's out-of-hours doctor service to be run by the local ambulance trust, following a barrage of complaints about the service provided by Serco.
Last week, the PCT said the company's contract would be reviewed in April, despite it having two more years to run.
Serco took over Cornwall's out-of-hours service in April 2006, replacing the GP co-operative KernowDoc.
THE DANGERS OF PRIVATISING THE SERVICE SIDE OF THE NHS, PROFIT IS THE ONLY GOAL............
Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon is now to be run by a For Profit,Offshore,Hedge Fund Backed, Tory Donor Organisation ...Circle Health They say it is not Privatisation...but it is all but We NOW find that Staff will be part of Clinical Groups AND be RESPONSIBLE for PROFIT & LOSS for Circle so WHAT are Circle doing?.... The Contract is in Circle Health's favour...they can get out at ANY TIME...with a small compensation to the Department of Health.. EMAIL - sgl5gjr@mail.com ....
