Requests from Private Providers

At Ridings Medical Group we are proud to be part of the NHS. We believe that all patients have the right to high quality treatment for their health needs regardless of the ability to pay. The NHS is founded on the principles of care free at the point of delivery from cradle to grave.

We are aware that at the moment there are large waiting lists across the NHS for many specialists and procedures and that some of our patients have the ability to pay for these services. This is a personal choice and one we respect, however this can lead to other patients being disadvantaged. If you access the private sector then all your care has to be transferred to that provider for that illness. This includes prescriptions, blood tests, post operative care, as well the appointments.

There has been a growing number of people subsidising their private care with NHS services which is affecting our ability to offer all our patients the timely high-quality care everyone deserves.

Unfortunately, there is also significant variation in the quality of care offered by some private providers and this not only increases workload but puts patients at risk as there is no clear distinction in the responsibilities of the GP and the private provider.

The senior GPs at Ridings Medical Group have discussed at length this increase in demand following private consultations ,and have made the following decisions, in line with BMA guidance for all NHS GPs:

We will not enter into any “Shared Care Agreements “ with a Private provider.

All tests requested by a specialist after a private consultation must be carried out in the private sector i.e. in the private hospital you were seen.

If a private specialist suggests referral back into the NHS he/she must do this referral, not request that we do this.

We will continue to offer travel vaccinations, DVLA/insurance medicals for which there will be a charge.

We will of course continue to offer timely high-quality care to all our Registered patients within the NHS.

The Partners RMG