Separate the teams

Philip Housden reviews the interface between the PPU and the rest of the NHS trust, and how getting this right can drive growth in financial surpluses from the trust’s investment in the PPU.

Most typically, at least in non-metropolitan NHS trusts, the private patient service really means the ward.

However, many trusts will also have a private patient office housing the administrative team.

Where possible, the two will be co-located, enabling substantial benefits from liaison between the ward clinical team and administration colleagues, and, of course, much better value from the investment that has been made in those staff.