BUPA Physiotherapy Tender Process

[maunger]

Hello,

First I would like to make a point that I am not one who gets involved in general discussion forums regarding physiotherapy issues.

However, recently, I have learned that BUPA have given all private clinics in the UK, 4 weeks to submit a blind tender for the business of BUPA subscribers. As a clinic I remember no other discussion or warning that this was coming about and to give us all 4 weeks to go about a blind tender seems generally wrong.

I have been searching on google and I believe that this is BUPA's big plan to bring all medical providers who are currently treating their patients in-line with their pricing structure. BUPA say that this is because of the large variations in physiotherapy fees and quality of treatment around the country, however underneath this when looking at the tender website they ask questions regarding internal audit and care pathways. It may be just me but aren't BUPA an insurance company? Is it really there role to establish whether physiotherapists on their preferred list are in fact taking part in these CSP standards (I personally think not). In fact it is the job of individual clinics to meet the CSP standards.

I personally believe that the tender is going to remove/devalue practitioners autonomy, as we all know you cannot bracket all patients into care pathways, try doing that for a patient with lower back pain.

Further to this, when looking at google I notice that BUPA have instigated tenders for MRI and Opthalmology. MRI was pushed through quietly and now those who signed up the agreement are regretting the agreement and the Opthalmologist's have out right rejected BUPA's proposal.

I would like to find other members who are concerned regarding this tender, we don't have very long and we may be signing up to something that we don't yet know all the facts about and how it may affect us in the long term. I am considering contacting the press to bring this issue to the forefront

Please contact me if this is a big enough issue for you and you want to do something about it.

My name is Mike Aunger