NHS GP practice operator with 500,000 patients passes into hands of US health insurer

[Northerner]

One of the UK’s biggest GP practice operators has quietly passed into the hands of the US health insurance group Centene Corporation, prompting calls for an official investigation into what campaigners claim is “privatisation of the NHS by stealth”.

The merger is expected to create the largest private supplier of GP services in the UK, with 58 practices covering half a million patients.

A coalition of doctors, campaigners and academics has voiced concerns in a letter sent this week to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, asking him to order an investigation by the Care Quality Commission.

Operose Health, a UK subsidiary of Centene, has recently taken over the privately owned AT Medics, which was set up in 2004 by six NHS GPs and runs 37 GP practices across 49 sites in London. Operose already operates 21 GP surgeries in England.

NHS GP practice operator with 500,000 patients passes into hands of US health insurer

Merger with Centene Corp covers 500,000 patients fuelling calls for inquiry into ‘NHS privatisation by stealth’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Amigo]

This is actually very worrying!

 

[mikeyB]

Just how did that happen? I don't understand the business model. GPs are private contractors in the NHS, in a business sense. This is a historical hangover from the origins of the NHS. So it must have been the GPs who agreed to this, thus becoming employees. Being self employed was all the fun of General Practice, being in charge of everything that increased income, and having an accountant who could minimise tax. Where's the fun in working and seeing all your profit-making exercises sending money to the US?

The best thing about being essentially an independent contractor within the NHS, the Pension was a nice juicy final salary NHS pension, though you had to pay for it. I moved into the Civil Service, for a pay cut, ( and transferred my accumulated NHS pension) but a non-contributory final salary pension, which still gives me a good living. It would be interesting to see what pensions these doctors get working for the Yanks, who wouldn't understand a TUPE agreement if it came and took a dump on their front lawn.

Practice nurses, by the way, are NHS Employees, and paid by the NHS.

(A lot of GPs in Scotland are salaried NHS employees. This is because in rural areas and the Highlands and Islands, to get a practice number of patients to the 2,000 level might be 600 square miles, which is completely impractical, so GP practices carry a hefty highland weighting.)

 

[Jenno9]

oh no!

 

[Ditto]

Blackguards!