Virgin and the PCT
Virgins Relationship with the local Primary Care Trust.
The Primary Care Trust (PCT) is the government body that controls the provision of NHS services in a given area in the UK.
Virgin’s first clinic was sited in the area controlled by the Swindon PCT.
Politically, relationships between PCTs and commercial organisations can be a bit tricky.
Essentially, some PCTs are managed at quite a high level by people who believe that their experience in healthcare qualifies them do deals with large commercial organisations on an equal footing.
The reality is that Virgin sees the PCT as potentially 'interfering' with their plans rather than a partner in providing appropriate healthcare
On 14th February 2008 Virgin Healthcare produced a document called "Project Plan Progress”:
Strategic Risks and Issues
Risks:
The key risks are;
- The PCT may interfere with service provision at the first Virgin Healthcare Clinic
This reflects, to me, a pervasive attitude within Virgin Healthcare that their relationship with the PCT was one that the PCT saw as cooperative whilst Virgin saw the PCT as another competitor that might 'interfere' with their plans.
My concern was that this competitiveness might lead to all sorts of issues.
Whist I worked at Virgin Healthcare a document was circulated amongst senior management. This revealed plans for the PCT to outsource nearly £8 million pounds worth of work. It was disseminated within the VHC team and asked to be treated 'in confidence'.
I was unsure of the provenance of this document and whether it should be in the hands of Virgin employees.
On 10th March 2008 I phoned the Financial Director of the PCT, Nicola Dunn, and I described the document to her. I noted that the document was marked "Please treat in confidence''. She said that she would like to see a copy.
I was keen not to embarrass Virgin unnecessarily so, having removed all the Virgin logos from the document I faxed through a copy of it to her.
Ms Dunn said that this document was part of the PCTs’ Operating Framework and that it would be going to the Board of the PCT in public session at the end of March 2008.
I asked Ms Dunn:
“So are you surprised to find that an external commercial company had hold of these figures?” to which she replied ‘yes’.
Ms Dunn said that she was: ”always interested in leakages in processes, information governance and data confidentiality” and said that my report had been ‘really, really helpful’.
On that basis I then made a Protected Disclosure to Nicola Dunn that it was Virgin who had possession of the document. She seemed surprised.
Ms Dunn then said from thereon she would be ‘acting under advice from the PCT's solicitors’.
Strangely, despite my frequent attempts to contact the PCT on several occasions in the days that followed there was no answer regarding my disclosure and no one seemed willing to talk to me.
Only after persistent phone calls did I eventually talk to the PCT lawyer who surprised me by saying that they no longer considered the document to be confidential and that it had been distributed to several GPs for comment.
Indeed since that date Mr Michael Willis (MP for North Swindon) asked Caroline Fowles, Chief Executive for the local PCT to clarify matters and I received a letter on 9th June 2008 which, again, seemed to contradict Ms Dunn’s earlier statement.
My question to the PCT is why was Nicola Dunn initially so sure that this document should not have been in the possession of an external commercial company and why have the PCT now changed their minds?
Surely Ms Dunn as Financial Officer for the PCT should have known if such a document was expected to be treated as confidential and I asked that she was very sure of her facts before I sent her the document as my concerns were of a very serious nature.
Perhaps the PCT can clarify whether they had also made this document available to other commercial companies on the basis of operating an equal playing field for all private companies?
I suggest, to resolve the matter, Virgin Healthcare can establish how the document came into their possession. If they have nothing to worry about why would they be embarrassed about whom they procured it from?
Manchester, UK