‘UNISON warned from the beginning that ISTC (Independent Sector Treatment Centre) contracts were too rigid and expensive and would destabilise local NHS hospitals’, said Karen Jennings, UNISON Head of Health, yesterday.
She was responding to Department of Health figures which show that all but four of the 25 private centres are only carrying out between half and three-quarters of the procedures they are being paid for with taxpayers’ money.
Jennings added: ‘These latest figures confirm that ISTC’s are not delivering value for money.
‘We now have the spectacle of millions of pounds being paid out to private companies for operations that never take place.
‘This is money that should have gone into the NHS to build up capacity, meet local demand and improve patient care.
‘In the long term, capacity should be built up in the NHS.
‘Private companies should not be making a profit out of people’s pain and suffering.
‘If we have to have these ISTCs, they should only be paid for the work that they do.’
Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the British Medical Association’s consultants committee, said: ‘The contracts were poorly designed and these figures show that.
‘They are wasting taxpayers’ money.’
Private treatment centres were set up to do minor surgery and diagnostic tests, on the claim that they were needed to cut waiting lists.
The first wave were given guaranteed contracts, worth £1.2 billion in total, by the government.
DoH figures show that just four of the 25 such clinics set up in the first wave of openings are doing enough work.
Three centres in Oxford, East Cornwall and Milton Keynes were fulfilling less than 60 per cent of their contract and one, in Kent, was under 50 per cent.
When Labour announced the second wave of centres, it said they would only be paid per patient.
Some of the second wave have now been scrapped because of a lack of demand and the Department of Health has said there will be no third wave.
However, bosses organisation, the CBI said on Monday: ‘A decision is due next month on whether seven new independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) will go ahead.
It added: ‘Committing to independent sector treatment centres represents a commitment to reform.
‘They should be seen as a long-term force for good in the NHS.’
