NHS Services Delivered by Private Healthcare Providers
Many of you will have seen the BMA Guidance on the NHS Standard Hospital Contract and I know many practices are using the template letters to respond to secondary care providers who attempt to shift inappropriate work onto GP practices. In some areas the CCGs have commissioned private healthcare providers to deliver certain NHS services and we have been asked whether the standard contract applies in these circumstances. We have confirmed with the CCGs that these services are commissioned using the standard NHS contract and the providers are therefore contractually bound by the same terms and conditions as the main NHS providers.
The LMC would therefore advise that practices respond to any attempts by private healthcare providers delivering NHS services to inappropriately shift workload onto GP practices with the template letters. We would also ask that you keep both the LMC and the CCGs informed if the private providers continue with this behaviour after you have written to them.