BMA opposes commissioning ‘privatisation' plans
Released 25/11/2011
Commissioning support criteria favours private companies in a way that could make CCGs having in-house support staff "almost impossble"
The BMA Council has called for the withdrawal of government plans that it says are likely to lead to support services for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England being provided solely by large commercial organisations after 2016.
It has requested an urgent meeting with Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to discuss these concerns.
Draft guidance from the Department of Health - ‘Developing commissioning support: Towards service excellence' - makes a number of recommendations about how clinical commissioning groups should function, including how they should access technical and "back-office" support to help with things like analysing population data.
Current primary care trust (PCT) clusters are forming commissioning support units and, from 2016, would be encouraged to form social enterprises and partner with the private sector, rather than remaining part of the NHS family.
Commercially-focused criteria to determine eligibility for providing commissioning support would also be introduced, which the BMA says would make CCGs having their own, in-house support staff "almost impossible".
Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of BMA Council (pictured), said: "A key plank of the government's NHS reforms was to entrust GPs and other health care professionals to lead on the commissioning of services for patients to ensure local health needs were met.
"These latest proposals from the government have the potential to seriously undermine this role, restricting the freedom and independence that clinically-led commissioning groups need to make locally sensitive, locally accountable, patient-focused decisions.
"Doctors tell us about the chaos they are already seeing on the ground as more and more change is implemented. The government should be focusing on ensuring the skills and experience of staff in current PCT clusters are retained. They will be invaluable in supporting the development of CCGs and providing much needed continuity during this period of huge financial pressure and structural overhaul.
"We will be urging CCGs to urgently review and where necessary change their structures to ensure they are able to fulfil their statutory functions without becoming dependent on external commissioning support."
Following these deliberations, the BMA Council took a decision to oppose the whole Health and Social Care Bill.
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