BUPA Physiotherapy Tender Process

[phizzio]

I have also been following this thread. I would like an answer to a simple couple of questions please- I work in private practice in London and I charge what I deem fit to my skills and the outgoings for the successful running of a busy practice-
What is the cost of a unit of time for physiotherapy in the NHS and what is the cost in a BUPA hospital. Not I might add what the physiotherapist is being paid. Also what is that unit of time. ...

[thephysiosvoice]

Just in on TPV.....

Physio First Email Alert - Bupa Announces the Blind Tender Process

Q: How can I negotiate?
A: In short you cannot. This is a take it or leave it proposition.

This is a direct quote from Eric Lewis Chairman of Physio First.

How can this negative statement possibly be the only way forward or the right advice for a powerful body of 6000 (or is it 13,000) highly intelligent professional physiotherapists in the private sector running successful businesses?

Do physiotherapists have such a low opinion of themselves that they are prepared to be railroaded? Do something. Let your opinion be heard.

Nice one Eric!

[physiobob]

Another comment sent to us by email

Hi, Thanks for update.

This may seem useless now, but my initial proposal to the csp was that we as a profession refuse to recognise BUPA.
My idea was that if bupa refuse to recognise recent graduates and demand this 5 year post grad thingy before allowing us to register for bupa work then they are setting the clinical standard not us as a profession or even the hpc.............hope you follow this

If we had the guts to have an embargo, bupa would be unable to offer physiotherapy to its clien' base. Patients would complain, there would be downward pressure on bupa's insurance fees as patients would be getting less for their money.

This would also have stopped bupa dictating what we got for our services. We could have set a rate that they would have to pay us.

Anyway probably all too late and anyhoooo couldn't seeing the profession being sufficiently together on this, not to mention the short term losses to those who depend on bupa for their income................however even the threat might have brought them to the table.

Cheers derek adams mcsp.................still not bupa registered

[physiobob]

I have also been following this thread. I would like an answer to a simple couple of questions please- I work in private practice in London and I charge what I deem fit to my skills and the outgoings for the successful running of a busy practice-
What is the cost of a unit of time for physiotherapy in the NHS and what is the cost in a BUPA hospital. Not I might add what the physiotherapist is being paid. Also what is that unit of time. ...

I can't say first hand what the BUPA unit cost although it is said an NHS charges at least £48 for a half hr. And the BUPA wellness clinic around the corner from me £53 for a half hr. Yet they are asking us to charge less.

It's also worth considering the wish to :

1. Hold your money for 30 days post receipt of the invoice
2. Run a billing service and reconciliation for their services
3. Provide all sorts of reports and audits for their organisation

In any normal business these would be considered as added services. Thus your fees should be more for BUPA than for self paying patients or for patients whose PMI's do not request this additional (billable) work. Today I received a cheque for £20 from the Pru Health Insurance after thet requested a simple patient update and report. There letter told me they would be happy to pay for this service in addition to my normal charges. So I provided the service and they paid. This is what I expect from BUPA as well.

It is normal in many health care areas to charge more for insurance clients as the PMI's require more admin time than non-pmi clients. This is typical in the USA and in fact it is also common in the UK as well.

This is just another aspect why the BUPA tender agreement is unacceptable. Everyone should in fact consider how much more they should charge BUPA clients if BUPA want us to provide more non-clinical work for them.