Virgin amends its profit plans
11 July 2008
Virgin Healthcare has abandoned a plan under which GPs could be paid for referring NHS patients to private Virgin services.
GPs who sign up with Virgin will remain independent contractors, but will work within a Virgin-branded health centre offering services such as dentistry and physiotherapy. The company had said that practice income would include a share of the entire centre's profit.
But the BMA warned the plan would damage clinical objectivity, because GPs would have a financial incentive to direct patients to other services within the centre.
Virgin has now altered its model, so that only profits from patients not on the practice's list will count towards the profit share. A spokeswoman said this had been done after consulting the GMC, in order to 'avert any conflict of interest'.
GPC negotiator Dr Chaand Nagpaul welcomed the decision. But he warned that: 'This is a reflection of how unaware the commercial sector is of the ethics that are central to the NHS.'
Comment below and tell us what you think
Additional Information
Latest jobs Jobs web feed
- Salaried GP The Practice plc £75-85k FTE +NHS pension, Ely or Leicester
- Regional Clinical Leads The Practice plc Salary £95-105k FTE + NHS pension, Leicester or Sheffield
- Salaried/Lead GPs Malling Health Competitive, role dependant, NHS Pension and defence fees reimbursed, Nationwide
- Locums GP Wolverhampton Pegasus Medical £70 per hour, Wolverhampton and West Midlands long term
- Locum GP Leeds and Surrounding Area Pegasus Medical £70 - £75 per hour, Leeds and Yorkshire long term
- Locums GP Walsall Pegasus Medical £70 per hour, Walsall and West Midlands long term
Most read
Most commented
MIMS Drug Search
Possible searches include drugs (by brand, generic ingredient or drug class), diseases and more.
