This week I wrote to the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health about a serious issue concerning the allegation that private healthcare organisation Spire are exploiting litigation processes to stop innocent patients getting the compensation they deserve. There will be a demonstration at 9:00 in Solihull on 3 March.
This is what I wrote:
"I am sure that it will already have been brought to your attention that there is an ongoing case against Ian Paterson who practiced as a cancer surgeon at hospitals owned by the Heart of England NHS Trust and Spire Healthcare-owned hospitals in the Midlands.
The allegations are that over 500 patients received negligent and sometimes dangerous care. This has resulted in an investigation by the GMC and the police.
The practices in question mainly relate to breast surgery on women which are said to have sometimes been performed unnecessarily and on other occasions left women subjected to a continuing risk of cancer.
Many of the operations under investigation happened at the privately run Spire Healthcare ("Spire").
Claims for compensation have been made on behalf of the people who suffered against both the NHS Trust and against Spire.
In respect of the NHS related claims, the NHS, as you would hope and expect, quickly carried out an independent investigation and published a report. I am told that these claims have been progressing and are being settled.
By contrast, I am hearing reports that Spire has been taking every opportunity to delay setting up any inquiry and that its equivalent report came four months later than that of the NHS. More worryingly, despite acknowledging serious flaws in its own procedures, Spire has delayed paying compensation.
Spire has been said to make frequent attempts to avoid agreeing to dates in the dispute resolution procedure. This is having the obvious effect of seeing the patients that suffered having to continue to live with this painful saga.
Spire's delays are particularly frustrating for patients, especially as they will have seen NHS patients receiving damages.
Rightly the public are now asking whether this calls into doubt the ability of privately run hospitals to look after patients properly. When something goes wrong you must agree that it is essential that a healthcare provider addresses rightful claims to compensation as quickly as possible.
Local constituents will be protesting, alongside some of the victims, outside Spire Parkway, Solihull on 3 March. This demonstrates the public mood on the issue.
As the Secretary of State for Health do you agree that the situation concerning Spire is unacceptable and what are you going to do to ensure that Spire and any other private healthcare provider does not use delay tactics to prevent patients from receiving the compensation they deserve?"
