Evidence submitted by Ruth Salisbury (ISTC
18)
I would like to submit the following points
for consideration by the Inquiry Panel—Independent Sector
Treatment Centres.
Whilst the profound concerns I have about the
interface between NHS and private hospitals began following my
husbands orthopaedic operation under the outsourcing scheme to
reduce NHS waiting lists, the issues that I raised with my local
health authority, my MP, the Nuffield Hospital and eventually
with the Independent Sector Treatment Centre programme, CCMU,
Department of Health had a much wider remit than a personal case
and challenged several procedures and processes that resulted
in a full joint service investigation led by Marney Prouse: CCMU
Clinical Risk Advisor on 17th May 2005.
I would urge panel members to read the minutes
of the meeting on May 17th—particularly the first section
of the report—submitted under (i) of two sections that deals
with policy and strategic issues regarding elements raised in
my letter dated 25th February 2005.
I note from the press notice regarding the ISTC
Inquiry that a short memorandum is invited. The minutes of the
meeting held on 17 May 2005 are succinct and both outline and
address my concerns and therefore I would like to submit these
minutes to the panel for their consideration. The concerns I raised
in my letter of February 25th 2005 included:
PCT Patient Care Advisors (PCA) and lack of
information on the initiative, post operative care and availability
of care from the private hospital, Surgeon's track records and
trends, the closure of the Nuffield Hospital over the Christmas
period, staffing issues resulting in no surgeon during the first
week and a half in January 2005, medical advisory issues, induction
for new Nuffield Consultants, communication channels between NHS
and private hospital, referral to GP's. GSup 2 contracts, Gap
analysis research project dealing with the interface between foreign
medical practice and British medical practice, doctor's CV's and
reference checking procedures for foreign doctors. In all of the
areas I have outlined above there were moderate to serious concerns
noted in the outcome of the investigation (17 May 2005) regarding
private sector processes/procedures and a lack of practical interface
between private providers and the NHS.
The cost to the NHS—due to a lack of real
forethought and planning on the part of the NHS to have in place
a rigourous check on the qualifications of doctors employed by
private hospitals who undertake operations on behalf of the NHS
is absolutely outrageous. The splendid team of orthopaedic NHS
surgeons in my local Health Authority have been monitoring the
number of patients that return to NHS care to have corrective
surgery following private treatment and hold extensive records
for their area. I am extremely worried about the way such information
appears to have been covered up or denied by NHS managers and
urge the Inquiry members to approach the surgeons rather than
the managers for their views on the ISTCP.
I am happy to supply a copy of the minutes I
have referred to.
Ruth Salisbury
13 February 2006
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