Consultant Appraisal in the Private Sector
The LCA announced a system of consultant appraisal at the general
meeting on 5 October 2004. There have been some delays in implementing
the system due to factors beyond the LCA control but we are now
in a position to offer a formal appraisal to LCA members... read on...
Additionality...
...is the rule imposed by the government that prevents consultants
with an NHS commitment from working in an ISTC. Consultants have
to have been out of the NHS for 6 months before they can be considered
and NHS locums are also excluded. However, they may be some flexibility
for locum NHS consultants. More information is available for subscribing
members and this can be found in the members' private
area
- August 2004
London in the changing healthcare market
The winds of change in private healthcare, whilst blowing more
actively around the country, are beginning to affect London practice.
The moves by some hospital providers (Capio, Nuffield and BUPA Insurance)
to go downmarket in an attempt to gain cheap NHS or other contracts
has so far not affected London... read on
- July 2004
Demise of the Independent Healthcare Association (IHA)
The IHA, which acted as the voice of the independent acute hospitals,
has disbanded after Nuffield Hospitals and GHG (BMI Hospitals)
announced they were resigning their membership towards the end
of last year, though for markedly different reasons... read on
- January 2004
Fees for Medical Specialists: How does the UK Compare
This report from NERA (National Economic Research Associates),
jointly sponsored by Norwich Union Healthcare and the Financial
Times, prompted headlines such as “Britons pay top fees
for private surgery” (The Times, 30 Dec 2003) and “Fees
for surgeons in NHS ‘are highest’” (Financial
Times, 29 Dec 2003)... more
- January 2004
Consultant Questionnaire 2003
Many of you kindly completed and returned a questionnaire organised
by FIPO. Particular trends can be identified in the different areas focused
upon. For instance, the majority of consultants are noticing the
impact of rises in Medical Indemnity Insurance on their overall
practice expenses. Also nearly three quarters of consultants considering
some form of group practice arrangement.
In order to move this forward, FIPO commissioned MORI to undertake
an independent poll of consultants along similar themes. This
poll was completed in March 2004, for further details of the accompanying
press release and further analysis of the results please click
here...
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
(DTCs)
major conference held by FIPO on 7th October 2003 to discuss Diagnostic
and Treatment Centres and their impact on the NHS, the independent
sector and the profession... click here
- Oct 2003
QBE Health and independent doctors
An LCA member working entirely in the independent sector appealed
to the LCA because QBE Health, a medical insurance company, had
decided that any doctor working outside of the NHS would no longer
be recognised by the company... click here
- June 2003
NHS Consultant contract proposals
Many members of the LCA have asked for advice regarding the discussions
and vote on the new NHS consultant contract... click
here
- August 2002
Relative Values Review and the
Office of Fair Trading - Update from FIPO
The Relative Value Review (RVR) was instigated by several major
private medical insurance companies, with the help of members
of the profession, some time ago... click
here
- August 2002
Healthcode and Electronic billing
– Update 2002
Healthcode is the company owned by several of the major insurers
and hospital groups providing electronic billing facilities for
private hospitals and consultants... click
here
- August 2002
OFT Inquiry into Medical "Chambers
& Partnerships"
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has received a complaint
from an unknown source that certain anaesthetic groups around
the country are allegedly setting fees for their services in breach
of the Competition Act... click here
- April 2002
Care Standards Act
LCA's intent to comment on the consultation process in the Care
Standards Act regulatory proposals... click
here
- August 2001
London Heart Hospital
LCA discussion on the purchase of the hospital by the NHS... click
here
- August 2001
Laing and Buisson Report on PMI
Several newspapers picked up on the annual market report on PMI
from Laing and Buisson which shows some very interesting trends...
click here
- June 2001
Community Hospitals Group bought by
CAPIO AB
Community Hospitals Group which owns 21 private acute hospitals
in the UK, has been the subject of much interest... click
here
- June 2001
The British Association of Otorhinolaryngologists
Head and Neck surgeons devoted a whole day to the issues of private
practice at the Royal Society of Medicine in London... click
here
- May 2001
Federation of Independent Practitioner
Organisations
News on FIPO, outlines the proposal to form one large
unifying body to represent all doctors who work in the private
sector... read on
- February 2001
NHS Consultant Contract
The details of the new NHS consultant contact are currently still
unclear. What is clear is the proposed ban for new consultants
to engage in private practice... read on
- February 2001
The Relative Value Review (RVR) and
Electronic Billing
After a great deal of preamble and work the Relative Value Review
has been made public. This is discussed along with a further manifestation
of increasing controls over the medical profession, which comes
from the introduction of electronic billing... read
on
- February 2001
Competition Commission Inquiry
LCA report on the Competition Commission inquiry into the BUPA Insurance
purchase of the Community Hospitals Group... read
on
- January 2001
PPP, Out Patient Consultations
The "discussions" with PPP regarding patient reimbursement
for follow up surgical post-operative consultation goes round
in circles... read on
PPP, pseudo-partnership agreements
- what is "usual and customary"?
Several consultants have received a document from PPP that
they have been asked to sign. This requires them to agree to a
level of fees which PPP call "usual and customary"...
read on
Code of Practice
LCA closely involved in the production of an agreed form of Code
of Practice which might solve the many daily disputes that affect
all consultants, insurers and patients... read
on
Pre-authorisation Survey
Further evidence on this has been obtained by a GP survey commissioned
by the Hospital Management Trust, which shows that a substantial
number of GP's have had interference with their referrals by the
insurers... read on
Hospital Preferred Providers
Evidence of the crippling effect of the hospital preferred provider
system comes from the Times Business News... read
on
- December 4 2000
Radiology and Pathology News
It has become evident that colleagues in the so-called "service"
specialities of radiology and pathology are often having difficulties
with the private hospitals in which they practice... read
on
Quality & Regulation in the Private
Sector
LCA report on The Health Select committee report on regulation,
to which we submitted evidence... read on
- March 2000
Extracts from the LCA Newsletter
Some topical issues from issue 2 of our newsletter to consultants
and associate members... read on
- March 2000
LCA comment on the BUPA Insurance Roadshow
billed to consultants as "Implementation of the Relative
Values Review and Clinical Governance and the Private Sector"...
read on
- March 2000
Extracts from the LCA Newsletter
Some topical issues from the first issue of our newsletter to
consultants and associate members... read
on
- June 1999
