Private diagnostic centres for NHS patients welcomed
Government plans for eight new independently run community diagnostic centres (CDCs) have been given the thumbs-up by the private providers’ trade body.
The boss of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network called it ‘an effective and value-for-money way to deliver these services – levering in private sector capital and expertise over the long term.’
Chief executive David Hare, who was on the ‘elective recovery taskforce’ promoting the development, said the plan was good news for patients and the target now must be delivering the healthcare sectors’ shared priorities.
This would take effort and commitment, particularly from GPs and partners in the NHS, while patients would need more support and education.
But he believed the potential benefits for patients were ‘huge’ and said the independent sector stands ready to support.’
Expanding opportunities
The taskforce, made up of NHS and independent sector representatives, was formed last year to identify ways to cut waiting times. Its report last week also set out plans for better use of data to help the NHS identify potential opportunities for the independent sector, and expanding training opportunities for junior doctors.
Five independent sector-led CDCs will be in the south-west of England, with permanent sites fully opening in 2024 in Redruth, Bristol, Torbay, Yeovil and Weston-Super-Mare. Additional diagnostic mobile facilities are being provided meanwhile.
Three others will open in Southend (November), Northampton and South Birmingham (both December).
Four CDCs are run by the independent sector in Brighton, North Solihull, Oxford and Salford.
Five more NHS-run centres will also open in Hornchurch, Skegness, Lincoln, Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
Wider choice
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay, said: ‘By making use of the available capacity in the independent sector, and enabling patients to access this diagnostic capacity free at the point of need, we can offer patients a wider choice of venues to receive treatment and in doing so diagnose major illnesses quicker and start treatments sooner.’
The measures include a commitment to using data on independent sector providers to identify where they have capacity to take on more NHS patients to help clear the backlog and increasing the use of the independent sector in training junior NHS staff.
Independent sector-led centres will function like NHS-run CDCs, but staff will be employed by the independent sector, which also owns the buildings.
The south-west network will be run by specialist provider of diagnostic tests InHealth.
The 114 CDCs open in England have delivered 4.6m tests, checks and scans since July 2021.
More flexibility
The Department of Health and Social Care has published its response to a consultation on a new procurement system known as the Provider Selection Regime, which NHSE says will give commissioners of healthcare services more flexibility when selecting NHS and independent sector healthcare providers.
This aims to remove unnecessary levels of competitive tendering and barriers to integrating care, which will help to promote collaboration across the NHS and wider healthcare system.
NHSE said it would evaluate the independent sector’s impact on healthcare capacity and had already begun publishing regular monthly data on independent sector use, showing its contribution to tackling the backlog.
Options for treatment
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: ‘We are advocates of patients having choice and welcome today’s announcement. In particular, the news that GPs will tell patients, at the point of referral, of options for treatment other than the local hospital or clinic.
Patients in England already have a right to choose where they are treated, but not all patients are aware of this right or exercise it. Our expectation is that once GPs offer patients a choice of where to receive treatment, more and more patients will choose to travel further to receive treatment if that means shorter waits.
Justin Ash, chief executive of Spire Healthcare, said: ‘The taskforce’s work will genuinely benefit patients, who’ll be able to choose where they can receive treatment most quickly, regardless of whether that’s at an NHS or an independent sector hospital.’