The Ridings Medical Group is 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 a service free at the point of delivery from cradle to grave.
We are aware that there are large waiting lists across the NHS for many specialists and that some of our patients can pay for these services. This is a personal choice and one we respect. Unfortunately, we have experienced a significant variation in the quality of care offered by some providers. Requests to primary care for prescriptions, blood tests, post operative care and follow up appointments not only increases workload but may put patients at risk as there is no clear distinction in the responsibilities of the GP and the private provider. Hence, if you access the private sector then all your care should be the responsibility of the private provider.
Additionally, 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.
The Partners at Ridings Medical Group have considered these issues and in line with Humberside LMC, BMA and NHS England guidance for all NHS GPs, the following decisions have been made:
We will not enter any “Shared Care Agreements “with a private provider.
We reserve the right to decline requests from private providers for investigations or treatment that would not ordinarily be offered as part of NHS primary care. Preferably, all tests requested by a specialist after a private consultation must be carried out in the private sector. This is for the reasons stated above as the responsibility for interpreting or acting on investigations should be the remit of the requesting clinician i.e. the private specialist. We, as NHS GPs, will not advise on tests done outside the NHS. If the Practice agrees to arrange such tests, patients are responsible for forwarding the results to their specialist. We reserve the right to charge a fee for the test requested by the private specialist. These should be available on the NHS app.
If a private specialist suggests referral back into the NHS, he/she must undertake this themselves without referral back to the GP. Any patients referred will be treated based on clinical need.
Where necessary, we will advise private providers of these decisions, our contractual obligations to the NHS and signpost them to valid responsible bodies named if they wish to clarify details.
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