PHIN anxiety at units using fake reviews
By a staff reporter
The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has voiced its concerns over BBC reports of fake Google reviews being used by medical clinics.
Chief executive Dr Ian Gargan said transparency in healthcare was so important and that is why this BBC report about fake reviews was worrying.
Dr Ian Gargan
‘Planning for an operation can be a stressful time and people need to be able to trust their hospitals and consultants. They should be able to rely on the reviews of other patients when looking into who should treat them,’ he said.
PHIN is an independent, not-for-profit, Government-mandated service and the information published on its website is supplied and verified by the private hospitals and consultants it works with.
Dr Gargan said: ‘We do not edit or amend patient feedback in any way, nor do we charge for profiles or have any advertising on our site.
‘Our main role is to help people to make a more informed choice when considering which hospital and consultant is right for them.
‘We publish information about quality, safety and costs for all hospital-based private healthcare in the UK, including private services in NHS hospitals. You can search for services in your area from our homepage.’
The BBC reported that five people who had rated a clinic highly also posted negative comments on a local competitor.
- See ‘The power of patient testimonials’
- See ‘Competition watchdog gets tough on failure to display fees’