LaingBuisson Newsletter Archives

Primary Health Properties has also acquired two modern, purpose-built medical centres for £9.01m. The first in Bromley-by-Bow in East London is a modern asset, constructed in 2010, which is fully let to NHS Property Services Limited, providing a GP surgery and walk in centre for a developing area of London. The centre has a remaining lease term of over 21 years. The second in Llanrumney in South Wales is a purpose built, two storey medical centre situated in a large residential area to the north of Cardiff city centre.

Meridian Business Support, the recruitment agency, has been placed on the Government Procurement Services (GPS) framework covering all regions of the UK.

Impellam Group, the global staffing solutions firm, expects unadjusted earnings per share to be broadly flat in the first half of the year compared to the prior year. At its recent annual general meeting the parent of Medacs Healthcare, the specialist recruitment agency, said: The Medacs Healthcare business is seeing challenging market conditions with volumes and net fee income under pressure. We are also seeing increased costs associated with both enhanced compliance requirements and in the sourcing of the required medical professionals for the demand available. We therefore expect to see both net fee income and EBITDA compression in the first half.’

The Public Accounts Committee has criticised out-of-hours provider Serco for its provision of the out-of-hours GP service in Cornwall.

The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN)) has permission from the Department of Health to collate information about patient mortality between private and NHS hospitals. Working with statistical information from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) the exercise will look at figures of patients treated in private hospitals who are then re-admitted to NHS ones. The information termed Section 251 information references Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 which re-enacted Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001. The terms Section 60 and Section 251, when used in relation to use of patient information, therefore refer to the same powers. These powers allow the Secretary of State for Health to make regulations to set aside the common law duty of confidentiality for medical purposes where it is not possible to use anonymised information and where seeking individual consent is not practicable. Matt James, chief executive of PHIN says there should be some meaningful information by September and if so it is hoped that the collation of such information will become a regular exercise from next year. It could also be the case that patient permission forms could include a request for such information to be cross referenced.

ID Medical Group, the specialist staff recruitment agency, saw growth for the year ending 31 December 2012 and reported increased turnover and profits.

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