An NHS, GP-led Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in Staffordshire is inviting bidders for a 10-year, £1.22bn contract for the provision of cancer treatment and end-of-life care in four areas in Staffordshire.
This story has grabbed the attention of the team at Neil Hudgell Solicitors, as a significant number of medical negligence compensation claims we deal with are related to the care of cancer patients. The key question for us is whether this approach will raise or lower standards of patient care?
In a joint statement, the CCGs said a new prime provider is needed because too many patients are not getting their wish to die at home, people needing palliative care are not being identified, and "patients and carers often report a negative experience".
Andrew Donald, Chief Officer for Stafford and Surrounds and Cannock Chase CCGs, said: "The Transforming Cancer and End of Life Care Programme is about taking an integrated approach to the commissioning and management of cancer, putting the patients at the centre of the process – it is not about privatisation."
The successful bidder will have to "transform the provision of cancer care”. The prime provider will "manage all the services along existing cancer care pathways" for the first two years, after which they will "assume responsibility for the provision of cancer care, in expectation of streamlining the service model".
Christina McAnea, Head of Health at Unison, expressed grave concerns: "This is by far the biggest procurement process in the NHS and is a dangerous experiment. We are talking about £1bn of taxpayers' money and contracts lasting 10 years in vital cancer services and end-of-life care.
"This is much bigger than just asking private companies to provide a service: this is asking them to design the whole system. With profit as the main driving force, how can it not lead to problems?"
Andy Burnham, the shadow Health Secretary, said: "David Cameron and his ministers need to be reminded that they have never been given the permission of the public to put the NHS up for sale”.
The Department of Health indicated it was relaxed about what type of organisation secures the two contracts, adding that "bureaucracy-busting reforms" were saving the Health Service over £1bn a year.
The four CCGs have said they are open to the successful bidder being an NHS organisation, an independent commercial organisation, third sector group or consortium.
Provision of NHS care in England by private contractors has risen since 2010, and the Staffordshire project will contribute significantly to that growth. It will also doubtless raise the temperature in what is already a heated debate over the ‘privatisation of the NHS’. At Neil Hudgell Solicitors we’ll be following developments with great interest.
