www.independent-practitioner-today.co.uk September 2020 Issue 125
INDEPENDENT PRACTITIONER TODAY
The business journal for doctors in private practice
In this issue
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of the NHS Pension Scheme Accountant James Gransby sums up doctors’ difficult choices P14
£12.50
NEW SERIES Becoming an expert witness
n See page 26
Uniting in a post-Covid world
App cuts Covid risk of ops
Despite private doctors being able to restart their businesses, unprecedented times look to remain part of our lives P44
A digital health app that steered private hospitals through the pandemic helps elective patients get ‘surgery-ready’ P20
A plan for resumption
By Robin Stride
An eight-point plan has been unveiled by the London Consul tants Association (LCA) to help independent practitioners get back to business following breakthrough talks between private hospital representatives and the NHS. As reported on our website last month, private practice for thousands of doctors is being kickstarted again from Monday 7 September. Nearly all private providers in London will be removed from an NHS contract from this date – as will some other facilities outside the capital. There will be 30%-40% capacity of private patients allowed in independent hospitals in the Southeast and a minimum of 25% of normal working hours capacity for private patients in the remainder of England. The LCA suggests this check list below to help consultants restart their private practice:
1
Contact your hospital directors now to find out what capacity will be available and emphasise your own availability.
2
Ask for reduced consulting rooms fees during the ramp-up period. In association with
you are clear who has the responsibility to inform your patients of these requirements – you or the hospital?
6
Clarify with your defence body or insurer what is your personal position if a patient contracts Covid during treatment by you.
7
We broke the news of the get-backto-work deal on our website
3
Request hospital support in advertising your services and availability, and to drive referrals.
4
Be prepared to par ticipate in virtual GP education sessions to ensure it becomes widely known that your practice is open for business.
5
Establish the current Covid screening requirements for your patients. Ensure
Contact private medical insurers and ask to be treated ‘fairly’ because of overheads and reduced efficiency due to Covid regulations such as increased consultation time. Note that virtual consultations require the same level of medical expertise and time as face-to-face ones.
8
Prepare for a r ise in selfpaying patients due to the anticipated increase in NHS waiting times. Be prepared to open clinics and offer face-to-face consultations as soon as possible. LCA chairman Dr Mark Vander pump warned that many consulta n t s’ i n d e p e n d e n t p ra c t i c e s continued to suffer: ‘As of late August 2020, the situation with respect to private practice remains grave. ‘The London Consultants’ Assoc iation are of the strong opinion
that a kick start process needs to be developed to allow the market to recover. ‘This would bring back private patients and, in so doing, assist private hospitals to return to revenues and build profitably once again. The NHS-private provider emergency contract ends in early September and consultants need additional support to restart their private practice.’ In this issue of Independent Pract itioner Today (see p44), Indepen dent Healthcare Providers Network chief executive David Hare says the agreement on further guaranteed capacity for private activity, for those hospitals that remained on the national contract, was ‘great news’ for independent practitioners, insured and self-pay patients. Both the NHS and private hospital representatives have set 31 December 2020 as the strict deadline for when the current deal must end. Mr Hare explained: ‘After this point, more localised agreements will be put in place to secure longerterm support from the sector to deal with what are likely to be NHS waiting lists of over 10 million by the calendar year-end and to clear a backlog which has already led to a staggering 50,000 NHS patients waiting over one year for routine treatment – compared with less than 2,000 earlier in the year.’ See page 44