We can all join up

Independent practitioners have plenty to gain from The Private Practice Register, explains Fiona Booth.

Private providers make a vital contribution to healthcare provision in the UK, delivering high-quality care for thousands of patients and helping to alleviate pressure on the overstretched NHS.

But if everyone in the independent sector is to grow and thrive, we must pass some significant tests, from achieving the level of information transparency demanded by the Competition and Markets Authority, to demonstrating that we have learned the lessons of the Paterson case.

The surest way to overcome these challenges is for practitioners, private medical insurers and hospitals to collaborate in a drive to streamline cumbersome processes, develop better lines of communication and improve governance and quality assurance.

This is where The Private Practice Register (PPR) comes in.