NEWS FROM THE CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY
Response to the Department of Health's consultation on guidance for NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private healthcare
In November 2008 the Department of Health's consultation on Guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care recommends that patients be allowed to mix private and publicly funded care during the same NHS treatment episode. Patients may pay for additional private healthcare while continuing to receive care from the NHS.
In December 2008 the Scottish government published draft guidance on Arrangements for NHS patients receiving private healthcare. This addresses the substantive issue of the principles and values of the NHS, whereas the DH England appears to have departed from the NHS principles and is looking to establish a parallel privately funded and delivered system that can be implemented alongside the NHS.
CIPHP argues that this policy and the guidance is contrary to the goals of the NHS and the principles of universality, equity, and service provision on the basis of need rather than ability to pay, and should be withdrawn.
The guidance claims that it is possible to separate public and private funding and delivery and put in place mechanisms and safeguards for this. All the evidence shows that it is not.
CIPHP recommends that treatments and services that are deemed to be effective should be available on the NHS free at the point of delivery. This founding principle of the NHS is inviolable.
The UK government should investigate the price and costs of drugs and seek to control NHS drugs expenditure by more efficient price regulation, not by opening up new funding mechanisms.
The UK government should also explore other measures for the control of prescription costs, such as the use of generics and the restriction of the pharmaceutical industry's attempts to influence GPs' prescribing patterns.
