News

PCT awards APMS contract to private firm ahead of GPs

30-Jan-08

An American healthcare company is to take over three London practices, despite the fact that a GP-led bid scored better on services offered but not value for money.

The Brunswick Medical Consortium has run one of the three practices since winning a short-term contract in June 2007. Camden PCT awarded its bid to run all three until 2013 a score of 761/950 (80 per cent) for proposed service development.

The rival bid from United Health Europe (UHE) won only 645.5/950 (68 per cent). But because the company plans to spend less per patient it received a higher score on value for money, and the PCT named it as preferred bidder.

‘The LMC is extremely worried that the chosen provider may have underestimated the resources needed in this practice, which can only result in a poorer quality service for patients,' said Dr Stephen Amiel, chairman of Camden and Islington LMC.

A spokesman for the PCT said the company offered ‘the best bid at the best price'.

Since the Brunswick Medical Consortium took over the practice last year it has increased opening hours from 36 to 45 hours a week, and widened the range of specialist clinics on offer.

Dr Richard Halvorsen, one of the consortium's members, said that the PCT told him that bids which achieved scores of less than 80 per cent in any area would not be shortlisted. ‘Then out of its head it produces a value for money index that we hadn't been told about,' he said. ‘If we hadn't thought we had to achieve 80 per cent in all areas we wouldn't have put in as expensive a bid as we have.'

UHE rejects claims that its bid will mean worse services for patients, pointing to extended hours and outreach programmes at its exiting practice in Derby.

‘These services have proved really popular and over 1,000 new patients have joined the surgery,' said Dr Peter Smith, the company's director of primary care.

* Do you have an APMS bid story that you would like to tell GP? Email jonn.elledge@haymarket.com

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Robin Kenworthy

30/01/2008

West Kent PCT will announce tomorrow at its board meeting the preferred bidder for the new £1M Health Centre contract in Staplehurst

The incumbent GP's have been eliminated from the APMS bid but the recommendation to the board is in favour of West Malling Group Practice the losers being ADP Healthcare Ltd and Care UK Ltd

Full consultation took place after pressure from the Parish Council, Patients and the PPI Forum. who chaired two public meetings. The three bidders were required to make a public presentation and submit to public questioning nearly 700 people attended a three hour meeting on 5.12.07.

The outstanding question now is dentistry provision.

Steve Williams

31/01/2008

It is apparent that if you look at recent media coverage that more and more stories are appearing about APMS bids being awarded to the private sector. Atos Healthcare successfully bid for a service in London on the grounds that it had a better understanding of patient needs and local knowledge. It was also prepared to offer extended opening hours. The latest success of companies like United Health are just an indication of how PCT's are electing to choose such providers, where cost reduction is an option. However it is dressed up, cost is almost certainly at the heart of any bid. If it wasn't, there would be little point of carrying out a tendering process. Where perhaps there should be more concern is when such private providers also have interests in areas such as the Commissioning Support Framework for PCT's. Will this not ultimately cause areas of conflict of interest ?

Up to 80 support contracts are in the process of being negotiated (which is probably a good reflection on why PbC has failed to take off as expected). GP's are grouping together to form limited companies and are starting to prey on neighbouring PCT's. Virgin Healthcare has made its move, although at this stage it is not electing to go the APMS route. Boots continues to quietly position itself to cover the high street market.

Over ten years ago, the complaint was about the 'two tier system' caused by the internal market. Stress the word internal. Now we have a system which has been opened up to external competitors. The principle behind this is about the quality of service and service provision. The market has been created and practices need to review where they sit within that market and adjust accordingly. The predators are out there.

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