Summary
THE takeover by a US healthcare firm of the running of three GP surgeries in London could be a taste of the future: Lord Darzi's planned shake-up of health services envisages greater private- sector involvement in the NHS. United Health Europe is part of the largest healthcare group in the US and it beat off competition from British doctors to win the contract from Camden health trust.
Whether this is a welcome development remains for patients to judge by experience. Granted, as matters stand, many patients get short-changed by their GPs, who open their surgeries at times convenient for themselves. One of the attractions of the United Health bid was that it promised longer opening hours and a greater number of health checks for patients. The profit motive is not necessarily contrary to patients' interests; it can make for greater efficiency.See the full content of this document
Extract
A Bold Step for London's Nhs ; Comment
Against that, doctors can quite rightly argue that patien...
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