Healthcare company UnitedHealth severs links with Camden’s NHS ... and sells off surgeries

Published: 21 April 2011
by TOM FOOT

THE American healthcare giant UnitedHealth has severed links with Camden’s National Health Service and sold off its three GP practices to another private firm.

The Brunswick, King’s Cross and Camden Road surgeries were handed over to UnitedHealth by Camden Primary Care Trust after a contract award that angered patients three years ago.

The company has now with “immediate effect” handed the role over to another provider, The Practice, without any fresh consultation with users of the surgeries involved.

The Practice is a UK-based private healthcare provider that runs 50 surgeries up and down the country.

Journalist Colin Leys, author of a book about UnitedHealth and privatisation of the NHS The Plot Against the NHS, said: “It’s a feature of markets that most people don’t appreciate. I wonder what vetting there is anyway. My suspicion is that all the Department of Health would really look for is the presence of some doctors among the senior executive staff.”

Neil Woodnick, chairman of Camden health watchdog LINk, said: “While Camden PCT might have done due diligence on UnitedHealth, they have not been able to on this new provider.”

Cllr Paul Braithwaite, on Camden health scrutiny committee, said: “What this demonstrates is that when GP practices are in the private sector then patients are bought and sold like chattels without recourse and accountability.”

There was a huge outpouring of anger from patients, politicians and NHS campaigners following the decision by Camden Primary Care Trust to award UnitedHealth the contract for three Camden surgeries in April 2008. 

The firm bid £25 less per patient than the group of local doctors, who wanted to run their own surgeries.

The chief executive of UnitedHealth UK Katherine Ward said: “We’ve made real improvements to these surgeries since we took them over. Quality performance has been transformed.”

The Practice chief executive Peter Watts added: “We are confident that there will be complete continuity for patients.”