According to the the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), the agreement that was put in place back in March 2020 between the NHS and private hospitals during the C-19 restrictions, resulted in the delivery of over 3.2 million NHS procedures including over 160,000 cancer and cardiology treatments being performed in the private sector. This agreement was implemented as part of the plan to respond to the inevitable record NHS waiting lists.
Shared care of surgical patients between NHS and private hospitals
Responding to the government's Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) report into the shared care of surgical patients between NHS and private hospitals, David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said: “We welcome HSIB’s new report which shines a light on the historic partnership between the NHS and independent hospitals during the covid19 pandemic".
3.2 million NHS procedures
"This unprecedented agreement, put in place in March 2020 during a period of significant upheaval and uncertainty in the healthcare system, resulted in the delivery of over 3.2 million NHS procedures including over 160,000 life-saving cancer and cardiology treatments. The partnership has been praised by NHS England’s CEO Amanda Pritchard as making a “critical” contribution in ensuring vital non-covid NHS treatment to go ahead throughout the pandemic".
Collaboration with NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICSs)
David Hare goes on to say, “With independent healthcare providers continuing to play a key role in supporting the NHS to clear the elective care backlog, it is vital that the NHS and independent sector can continue to work seamlessly together to deliver the safest possible care for patients. We therefore welcome HSIB’s recommendation for new NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to fully understand local independent healthcare provision and ensure the sector is a key part of this new system working. This is something IHPN have long been calling for and which will ensure the NHS and independent sector can work together to improve patient access to high quality care in the months and years to come.”
