Another doctor has had added his voice to concerns about the company responsible for managing the referral of patients for specialist treatment in Brighton and Hove.
Carl Walker, principal lecturer in psychology at Brighton University, criticised Optum – part of the American corporation United Health – at the Brighton and Hove Health and Wellbeing Board this afternoon (Tuesday 20 October).
He questioned the way in which the contract was awarded by the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Dr Walker asked: “How has the Health and Wellbeing Board responded to Brighton CCG’s decision, without any consultation, to move to an inexperienced and controversial private RMS (referral management system) provider in Optum and, in light of Optum’s current local failings, will the Health and Wellbeing Board take action?”
His question followed criticism by local GPs (general practitioners) a few weeks ago after Optum took over the contract from BICS (Brighton and Hove Integrated Care Service), a consortium of local doctors.
They raised concerns about the length of time it was taking for patients to be referred for specialist treatment.
Health and Wellbeing Board chairman Dan Yates said that the CCG awarded the contract from Tuesday 1 September to Optum and that the company was an experienced provider of referral management systems.
“Since go live, the system has experienced significant difficulties,” he said, but these were the result of a national IT systems problem and nothing to do with Optum.
Councillor Yates added: “Issues with the system have now been resolved. The backlog that developed during September has now been cleared.
“The service will be sending out letters to all patients to apologise for the delays.”
CCG chief operating officer Geraldine Hoban said: “It was very unfortunate for the individuals who were caught up in that national problem.
“It was also unfortunate that it coincided with Optum taking over but it was a national problem not an Optum problem.”
She also responded to Dr Walker’s concern about the contract being awarded to a private company.
She said: “We are bound by procurement laws in the NHS.”
But she said that the CCG was trying to be clear about the way it wanted organisations to work locally whether they were public or private sector.
Dissatisfied with BHRMS