Requests from Private Service Providers

Policy regarding requests from private service providers to take blood tests

The Vale or Neath Practice adheres to the following guidance regarding requests for blood tests to be done by a private consultant or other clinician operating on a private basis. 

If a patient has chosen to pay for private healthcare because:

1. their treatment is not available on the NHS    or

2. they do not wish to be treated on the NHS     or

3. they have an insurance policy which covers private treatment.

then the patient is responsible for paying all associated costs (including blood tests), and the private service provider is responsible for managing every aspect of their healthcare. This policy will remain in place, unless the patient decides to transfer back to the NHS at a later date to continue their treatment.

For this reason, private service providers should not be asking GP's to arrange any blood tests that they deem necessary, and intend to use, to make a clinical diagnosis and/or recommend a course of treatment with.

It is the private service provider's responsibility to arrange blood tests for patients whose care they are managing, and the patient's responsibility to pay for such tests.

Policy regarding requests from private service providers to start or take over prescribing medication

In addition to the above policy, The Vale Of Neath Practice cannot prescribe medications on behalf of private service providers, nor continue to supply prescriptions which have previously been supplied by the private service provider. We are not permitted to have shared care protocols with private service providers.

Private consultants wishing to transfer patients to NHS care should directly refer their patient to the appropriate NHS service who will reassess and, if appropriate, take over the patients treatment. At the point where the patients care has been taken over by an NHS service, a request may be made by the NHS service to share prescribing responsibility with the practice.

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