Independent sector treatment centres ‘drain NHS resources’

The Royal College of Opthalmologists has claimed that independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) have been draining resources from local ophthalmic facilities.

The comments follow the publication of a Commons Health Select Committee report, which said that ISTCs might not necessarily provide better value care in comparison to NHS treatment centres.

Brenda Billington, president of the college, told Channel 4’s News at Noon: “We are aware of some hospitals that are near treatment centres where so many funds have been diverted away that the general ophthalmic services are under threat.”

“The college has been asked to come into several units to actually assist with this,” she added.

Lord Warner, the health minister, said he welcomed the report, claiming it was “pretty balanced”.

He told the same news programme: “What the committee report actually says as well is that [ISTCs have] improved choice. It does say that the price paid for these operations is much lower than the spot price that the NHS was purchasing these operations for before we introduced this national programme.”

Lord Warner rejected claims that ISTCs would result in the closures of hospitals, claiming: “It doesn’t follow that hospitals will be closing as a result of our Independent Sector Treatment Centres, which after all at the moment represent about one per cent of the NHS budget.”

The NHS Partners Network also welcomed the committee’s report. Mark Smith, the network’s chairman, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there was a lot in it that was “extremely positive”.

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