More private surgery in Surrey?
PPU Watch
Compiled by Philip Housden
More private surgery in Surrey?
Consultants could have a new private practice opportunity with the opening of a new elective surgery centre at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals in Surrey.
The Surrey Heartlands Elective Centre, based at Ashford Hospital, fully opening this summer, includes a dedicated eye unit and facilities for orthopaedic procedures including hip and knee replacement surgery.
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Board is considering using the unit to develop a competitive private practice option for the self-pay market.
A board meeting report said any such private patient service ‘would be positioned in an ethical way, delivering a more affordable route to private treatment’.
A trust spokesperson told BBC Radio Surrey: ‘Any details on numbers and pricing have not been developed at this stage and any future development would be positioned in line with our ethical values and enable re-investment in our core NHS services.’
The spokesperson added that private operating is ‘an added tool for recruiting and retaining clinical talent’ and it may offer an opportunity to build a capability to re-invest in improvement across its full range of services and facilities across elective and emergency care.
In 2022-23, Ashford and St Peter’s reported private patient income of £1.8m, a decline of £0.2m from £2.0m and -10.1% on the previous year, representing just 0.45% of total trust income.
On the move
Marcus Taylor, private care director at Buckinghamshire Private Healthcare Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust – is leaving to be private care managing director at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Stanmore.
He headed the Buckinghamshire service for two years, leading the transformation of private care services for consultants and supporting the trust to revitalise a strategic, income-generating and customer-centric service.
Mr Taylor said: ‘We have enjoyed many successes along the way, launching a fantastic brand, professionalising our service provision and offering a convenient and responsive service for our consultants and growing our income by over 60% in the past year.
‘Bucks has a fantastic proposition for its patients and a development agenda that will take it to its full potential over the coming few years and is well on course for 2024.’
He added: ‘I am very excited about this new opportunity and how I can utilise my 20 years’ private healthcare experience and local market knowledge to deliver significant benefits for RNOH.’
Philip Housden (right) is director of Housden Group commercial healthcare consultancy