This was just sent our from Physio First ( The Former OCPPP) and Private Practitioners Group in the UK. A lot of waffle really and it scares me that they are meeting with BUPA unless they are going to tell them to take a walk. Any and all negotiations by PMI's should be with their customers and we are NOT their customer although they are trying to make it that way.

Here's hoping they make that clear tonight and here's hoping they have some legal counsel with them at the meeting.

BUPA developments - the story so far…
As there has been some frenetic activity since our Conference, regarding the BUPA blind tender, we thought it best to keep you informed as to events so far.

You will remember that in July 2008 following several attempts to engage BUPA over a period of months, BUPA tried to survey our members by questionnaire without prior warning to us (see Update newsletter July 2008). This led to various alarm bells being rung and the reinforcement to members whenever possible to decrease their reliance on commercial firms. It also caused the initiation of a cursory look at the relationship legally between our members and BUPA.

Finally a meeting was arranged between BUPA, the CSP and Physio First in early October 2008 but was heralded by BUPA asking us to sign confidentiality clauses. We refused and the meeting went ahead without them. On the day itself the BUPA representatives asked that we ignore the agreed agenda and just focus on one part – that of BUPA’s future plans (see Update October 2008).

At that meeting they informed us that their intention was to make all physiotherapists who had carried out work for them to tender a new bid to be a preferred provider and also that their intention was to dramatically cut the number of physiotherapists they used. They also informed us that they would be requiring the enforcement of their own ‘quality standards’.

Following the meeting a series of high level and detailed meetings were attended by both CSP and Physio First representatives to analyse the situation and the potential consequences. During and over the Christmas period 2008 a number of letters were exchanged between BUPA and Physio First, which resolved nothing. We requested that they postpone their plans until further thought and some consultation had taken place (see Update Feb 2009).

The CSP and Physio First then seriously considered the legal scenario in which this whole situation existed in and after further deliberations the CSP offered to finance top-level advice from a firm of City Lawyers on the situation. One of the more eminent barristers in this field at that time advised that we could not fight the Competition Act and that at that time there was little chance of making a convincing case to the Office of Fair Trading.

Subsequently nothing more was heard from BUPA but Physio First began planning for various possibilities that might occur. Nothing at that stage could be initiated because BUPA had only stated their intent and had actually not carried out their plans or communicated with us that they would.

As you are all aware BUPA sent out the letters to 6,000 of their providers on the Friday before our Conference which was pretty clever timing as we were unable to “do” anything until the following Monday.
At Conference, for those of you not present, Eric Lewis and Paul Donnelly made themselves continually available for members to discuss their own personal concerns and a great deal of time was dedicated to the subject at the AGM itself.

On April 1<sup>st</sup>, 2009 Physio First had meetings with both the CEO and members of the Communications department of the CSP which resulted in an agreement to collaborate in seeking further advice and in the instruction of solicitors to make a complaint to the OFT. There was a further agreement to use the journalistic skills within the CSP’s Communications dept to mount a media campaign, which in turn resulted in an e- alert on April 3rd to our members informing them of this action.

We realise that there is a lot of high feeling surrounding the whole process of the BUPA tender and many members are feeling quite isolated at the moment. We want to do as much as possible to help our members through this difficult time, whatever they as individuals decide to do regarding the tender and feel that any information has to be helpful.

Last Thursday we added to the BUPA - FAQs on our website, giving the answers to the questions that have come into the office so far about the tender itself and put out an e-alert asking for any further feedback individual members may have from BUPA so we can also put these responses onto the web.

Following our contact with BUPA last Thursday, the CSP and Physio First are meeting with them tonight at their request. Who knows what, if anything will emerge but at the very least maybe we can gain some further clarification on the situation.

You can be assured that your Physio First Executive (and Main Committee) work tirelessly on the behalf of all members of this great Organisation and that includes ourselves, as we are all practicing independent practitioners.

Change is very difficult but Physio First members are up to any challenge thrown our way; we are, if nothing else survivors.