Operose Health UK compromising patients to save money

Finally, the BBC woke up to the article that I wrote and complained against Operose to the CCG, the local MP. The right twist also wrote to the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid on the 21st of September 2021 with full evidence about Operose Ophthalmology services in Worcester. We were not replied to despite numerous reminders to him. TRT also complained to the GMC against their CMO, Mr.Nick Harding, but as he is a local doctor with influence, the GMC is not bothered.

Operose continues to mistreat patients. I had provided full information about the ophthalmology patients of Operose, which had been hugely compromised and even resulted in the death we still did not trigger any buttons of the CCG or Health secretary. The BBC’s undercover reporter has done a fantastic job in exposing just one of the things that Operose has been doing. I mention again some of the salient things that all Operose has been doing in Ophthalmology, in Worcester, and at all places where the top technology services exist.

Some specific regular malpractices alleged against the company include:

1. Having doctors on self-employed or worker contracts rather than employees and hence denying them any whistle blowing, grievance or complaint procedure rights.

2. Forcing the doctors and dictating them to abide by their own guidelines rather than the national guidelines so as to save costs and even overruling doctors’ decisions.

3. Most of these doctors employed are of Asian origin whereas the senior doctors in the bureaucracy are of the local origin and are telling the junior doctors what to do even if against the clinical norms.

4. Hiring of unqualified, unskilled, and cheap technicians for the technician jobs. Many of them with no prior experience and even recent school pass-outs are taken. Some of them or even ex-postmen who are just hired for saving costs. Most of these people are given zero-hour contracts.

5. Poor triage services, even serious conditions managed by unqualified people.

6. Referral to the hospital when done by the doctors even for serious conditions like suspected cancer is canceled.

7. Any doctor whistleblowing is severely victimized and/or sacked.

8. Doctors regularly threatened not to raise their voices against decisions that are made by the senior managers even if they compromise patient care.

9. Patient tests are repeatedly not done at the right time and in many cases, not done for years to save costs.

10. Unskilled clinical leads with no expertise in the particular specialty.

Being from abroad, Asian doctors find it tough to raise voices.  Voices that were genuinely acting in the patient’s interests has been successfully suppressed and despite evidence provided to the CCG, CQC and the health secretary, this was allowed to carry on. No protection is given to doctors, from the NHS or the government system in respect of the doctor’s sincere efforts to expose the malpractices, which involved the care of thousands of patients. This is despite repeated reminders to the local health authority Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) the local MP, the health secretary, and the CEO of the local trust, Worcester.

We contacted the CCG, Worcester, and instead of replying to the specific allegations, sent the following reply, ‘The CCG has contracted Operose to deliver ophthalmology services for patients in Worcester. As with any provider contract, the CCG undertakes regular quality and performance audits to ensure high-quality care for patients and value for the taxpayer.”

Has the CCG wishy washed it?

Operose health apparently enjoys excellent relations with the UK government, with their last CEO promoted to be the adviser to the PM.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61759643