LaingBuisson Newsletter Archives

HMn talks to Dominic Dalli, partner at private equity firm Sovereign Capital, who about how private equity can work with the health care sector to improve services

NHS expenditure from 2015/16 will continue to be protected in real terms. This was revealed in the Government’s recent Spending Review. A joint commissioning plan for the NHS and local councils was also announced by George Osborne, chancellor.

The recent events at Morecambe Bay, Winterbourne View and Mid Staffordshire (amongst others), show a recurring theme; people witnessed wrongdoing and tried to speak up, but were ignored, gagged or bullied into silence. Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) of 1998, individuals making a disclosure in good faith are protected from any consequences suffered as a result of their disclosure. In light of the above scandals, it is clear that PIDA has not worked. In February 2013, Public Concern at Work (PCaW) established a Whistleblowing Commission to examine existing provisions for whistleblowers and how these could be updated to amend PIDA’s shortfalls. IHAS has examined the material published by PCaW, and has identified a number of flaws and omissions in current whistleblowing legislation, as stated in the IHAS response to the PCaW consultation.

Kyle Holling, lead partner on Trowers and Hamlins’ health and social care team, explains how the Care Bill could impact on private providers

Affinity Care Homes, the specialist care services manager, has acquired the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital (RBH) in Aylesbury for an undisclosed sum.

Jelf Employee Benefits, the health insurance intermediary has said more small to medium sized businesses and their employees could be introduced to a wider variety of benefits with competitive pricing, if private medical insurers pooled their benefit risks. The company suggests that the healthcare element of flex is one of the main stumbling blocks but it believes that a Flex Small Scheme Arrangement’ could be championed within the industry which would enable flex schemes to become the norm.

Capita Health and Wellbeing Limited, the occupational health services provider, in its director’s report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2012 recorded increased turnover of £29.0m (2011: £18.1m).

Maximus, the operator of government health and human services programs in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia, has acquired Health Management Limited, the independent provider of occupational health care services in the United Kingdom.

Simplyhealth has joined forces with wellbeing experts, Robertson Cooper, to support people’s health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace through its Good Day at Work’ network. Good Day at Work’ is a free online community where individuals and employers can access a wealth of resources to help improve their levels of wellbeing, as well as sharing ideas and experiences with others. Alongside guides, videos, reports and case studies, the site includes i-resilience, a personality questionnaire designed to identify where individuals draw their resilience from. Howard Hughes, head of employer marketing at Simplyhealth said:

Nuffield Health has called the timing of a report examining the tax responsibilities of private hospital providers with a charitable status questionable’. The HCA International commissioned report indicated that private hospitals with a charitable status were taking advantage’ and effectively benefiting from taxpayer subsidies The report examined the tax liabilities of four of the country’s best known private hospitals, The London Clinic, King Edward VII, the Hospital of St John and Elizabeth and Nuffield and accused them of taking advantage of their charitable status’.