BUPA Physiotherapy Tender Process

[fizziophil]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the useful comments, views and opinions that have been posted on this and other sites in the last few weeks. It has been great getting to know that there is such strong support and standing for our profession.

I'm affraid i still have questions and i am still not convinced on the best thing to do for my profession and my patients. Hopefully i am not the only one with the headache i am about to pose.

Firstly the CSP and PF stand point.
I wish that they weren't, as is suggested, making us read between the lines and guess whether or not we should all tender. Why can't they just be straight?

Secondly, I have built up a good relationship between my clinic and BUPA patients.
I feel that if I dont tender and nothing comes to fruition through the legal onslaught then i will have let down my patients.
I do however know i could survive without BUPA input.

Thirdly, if Itender.
If i tender and opt for the 2 years - i have an out.
I think i am also correct in saying if i want to terminate the contract then i still can but a time frame may be imposed.
If i tender and i am successful and the legal onslaught is also successful and BUPA are held to account on the points mentioned about the FSA etc. then surely that would nullify the tender as they have asked me to do something that is essentially ileagal ( as suggested).

I want to do whats best for physios and the profession, and therefore i am happy to follow the lead of my organisational body. So please, i ask, back yourself CSP and tell us the correct course of action in black and white.

So finally my position, as stands at the moment is -i am going to wait untill tomorrow to submit my tender in the hope that some clarity and a defiant position is upheld by the CSP and FP.( I think the odds are stacked against it though). If i have not heared i will, contradictory to most blogs on this site, reluctantly, post a tender, at my current prices. If i was asked to negotiate on these I would stand firm happily.

[physiobob]

Latest Updates:

Firstly if you are backing the letter that has been produced by our legal teams then please let Max and the team know you would like your name and practice also on the letter. That letter is a few posts above this one. Email him at [email protected]

Here's another update from thephysiosvoice.co.uk blog

Hot off the press:

Well after much hard work from our CSP liaison (Claire Small from Pure Sports Medicine) she has managed to persuade CSP CEO Phil Gray to instruct his lawyers (Hempsons) to write to BUPA raising the issues we have been banging on about all week: namely, the conflict of interest angle (BUPA and BUPA wellness), the FSA angle and BUPA’s initial aim of significantly reducing the number of physios they register. We have seen site of the CSP’s letter and while it isn’t as beefy as we would like, it is certainly better than no letter at all. Please tell all your physio colleagues not to give up hope....even the CSP seem to be coming on side now.

However, please do not be lulled into a false sense of security at this stage. We will certainly not be taking our foot off the gas and we are under no illusion that the legal angles do not provide a silver bullet solution. We will keep battling for our twin aims of clinical independence and commercial autonomy. We will be sending a further letter on the FSA points tomorrow.

If you haven’t already done so, please don’t forget to write to BUPA yourself and make sure you send your letter to Jane Gallagher as well as BUPA’s physio tender email address. Our lawyers letter appears in full on the website if you want some pointers (www.thephysiosvoice.co.uk).

Best to all,

Max