Bupa to reduce treatment costs & goes TESCO

Translation - BUPA becomes to the health professions what TESCO is to the traditional farmers.

"Bupa Health Insurance is to address the cost and frequency of private physiotherapy treatment to reduce variations for customers. From next week, independent physiotherapy providers will be invited to take part in a national tender to assess the quality and cost of care and the average number of sessions required for particular conditions."

BUPA seems to think all practices are somehow the same and can therefore be compared. That is much like saying the length of stay in intensive care (maybe weeks) of one hospital can be compared to a routine hip replacement in another (5-7 days) , compared to a hernia repair in another (day proceedure). This is why there is a variation in the amount of physiotherapy sessions between clinics and between patients. They all have different problems and different practice service different patient needs.

Interestingly they cite their BUPA wellness clinics in their own stats. As the name suggests they are Wellness clinics, designed for assessment and advice and so really anything more than 1-2 sessions should be deemed excessive. On average however they take considerably more. One cannot compare a wellness clinic to a clinic servicing stroke rehabilitation post discharge, extensive orthopaedic treatments, acute low back pain treatments etc. There comparisons are frankly laughable.

BUPA is trying to force the healthcare professions to under cut rates and compete to the bare bone in the same way as farmers have had to do with the likes of TESCO. And remember BUPA tries to stear their clients to their own centres where they effectively get their own money back (less direct costs).

No longer will the public have their choice of practitioner. No longer will the surgeons be able to refer to those experts they have long-standing relationships with. No longer will patients be able to see clients that have a 10-20 year relationship with unless they pay for it independently.

Overall it is thought that the BUPA members will walk or drop accessory services such as dental, physio, scanning. This is likely to put pressure back onto the NHS waiting lists as few private practitioners are willing to be part of the BUPA tender.

Only time will tell but this could be the end of BUPA as a major player in the private health care arena and the beginning of the cut price services akin to EasyJet, Tesco and Primark....... :o