Independent centre deals abandoned
Health Service Journal, 04 December 2006
The Department of Health is set to abandon a large swathe of its
independent treatment centre programme more than a year after it
invited
providers to bid for the lucrative deals, /HSJ/ has learned.
Despite numerous public commitments by health minister Lord Warner that
the scheme would continue as planned, it has emerged that a significant
chunk of the latest wave will not go ahead.
In April, /HSJ/ revealed that seven of the 24 schemes that formed part
of the multi-million pound second-wave elective surgery contract had
been axed and the rest delayed by up to a year (news, page 5, 27 April).
At the time the DoH told private providers that the value of the
schemes
- £550m of work per year - would still be guaranteed. However, sources
close to the negotiations said this week that the government had now
backed down from this pledge.
A DoH spokesperson said: 'There is up to £550m in current budgets for
the independent sector programme. We are committed to using the
independent sector to help drive down waiting lists and provide choice.
We want to look at options of where it could best be used to the
benefit
of patients, and schemes are expected to be issued early in 2007.'
The wave-two procurement is divided into four tranches. The Department
of Health is thought to be going ahead with the other three, which will
total £370m.
The first two contracts are due to reach preferred bidder stage before
the end of the year. Renal services provider Fresenius Medical Care is
set to win preferred bidder status for an elective contract at 12 sites
in the north of England and Clinicentre will operate six sites
providing
patients with services, including general surgery, orthopaedics and
urology, in north London.
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