United Health Destroyers

Many critics of the Con Dem Health and Social Care Bill have warned of the dangerous consequences of a US style health care system in Britain. This week the Camden New Journal reports that a GP surgery in Camden is to close four years after being taken over by the biggest health company in the United States, UnitedHealth. http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/feb/gp-surgery-was-sold-us-health-company-set-close

'The Camden Road Surgery, a GP practice for almost 100 years, will shut down on April 13. Health campaigners say it should act as a cautionary tale for policy-makers aiming to reform the NHS.

The company took over the surgery last April from American private health operators UnitedHealth UK, which controversially outbid local doctors to win the contract to run three practices in Camden in 2008. The last Labour government introduced legislation allowing private companies, such as UnitedHealth, and The Practice, to profit from the NHS by bidding for contracts to run GP surgeries.'

Dr Paddy Glackin said: “I don’t think there is a single private operator that has seen out the full length of its contract to run a GP surgery in inner London. It is essentially for the same reason: they cannot deliver the practice at NHS prices.”