Why this support for Camidoc?

Published: 9 September, 2010

• IT beggars belief that the New Journal and its reporter Tom Foot are still touting support for Camidoc even after the company’s own recent admission of financial irregularities and administrative incompetence.

If there is any “scandal” in the sacking of Camidoc by Camden primary care trust it is that the trust has taken so long to get round to it.

No one I know trusts Camidoc. The recent case of Alastair Hosie, the university lecturer who died after advice given by a Camidoc out-of-hours GP, confirmed what many of us already knew: if you are unlucky enough to fall ill out of surgery hours, get yourself to A&E.

The New Journal’s support for Camidoc appears to rest on the claims that Camidoc is run “not for profit” and staffed by local GPs.

Camidoc – actually Camidoc Limited, registered at Companies House – had turnover of £6.1million in its last reported financial year, of which £2.5million was spent on “administrative expenses”.

As regards the notion that it is run by local GPs for local people, I recently Googled the names of two doctors who featured in the treatment of Alastair Hosie and could find nothing connecting either of them with local practices.

I then asked Camidoc where these “experienced, local GPs”, as its website describes them, could be consulted.

I am still waiting for a reply.

It is time to ask some questions.

STEPHEN HARGRAVE
Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1