NHS Resources

50Twuncle
50Twuncle Posts: 10,763 Forumite
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in Health & beauty MoneySaving
I don't know whether this is just something that happens in my area - or nationwide
But different NHS trusts use their own resources - they refuse to share them with next door trusts
I live in a largish town but my GP is just across the county border - in the next (smaller) town
My large town has it's own MRI scanners/Physio support etc etc

But, because my GP is in the next trust area (5 miles away) - I have to travel 40 miles for an MRI scan

Why can't trusts share resources ?

Comments

  • BorisThomson
    BorisThomson Posts: 1,721 Forumite
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    Services are commissioned by your CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group). They effectively buy services, which may or may not be in your area.

    The answer to your question is cost. If the services in your area are the most cost effective then the CCG will commission them. If they are more cost effective elsewhere, or cannot be provided within your area, they will commission them elsewhere, possibly in the private sector.
  • 50Twuncle
    50Twuncle Posts: 10,763 Forumite
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    BorisThomson wrote: »
    Services are commissioned by your CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group). They effectively buy services, which may or may not be in your area.

    The answer to your question is cost. If the services in your area are the most cost effective then the CCG will commission them. If they are more cost effective elsewhere, or cannot be provided within your area, they will commission them elsewhere, possibly in the private sector.

    I was actually scanned in a "private" MRI suite, 40 miles away - surely, it would have been cheaper to use the MRI scanner in my local hospital - which is in a different trust area to my GP - but also only a mile away from my home ?
  • BorisThomson
    BorisThomson Posts: 1,721 Forumite
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    50Twuncle wrote: »
    I was actually scanned in a "private" MRI suite, 40 miles away - surely, it would have been cheaper to use the MRI scanner in my local hospital - which is in a different trust area to my GP - but also only a mile away from my home ?

    Cheaper to the CCG or to you?

    If the private MRI suite offered a lower price to the CCG, then all other things being equal, they should get the contract.
  • 50Twuncle
    50Twuncle Posts: 10,763 Forumite
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    BorisThomson wrote: »
    Cheaper to the CCG or to you?

    If the private MRI suite offered a lower price to the CCG, then all other things being equal, they should get the contract.
    I would guess both - my MRI would have cost the CCG £900 - If the charges on a leaflet that I saw rang true - this would presumably be mostly profit - my local hospital MUST have been cheaper - if not then the private company must be doing something wrong...
  • BorisThomson
    BorisThomson Posts: 1,721 Forumite
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    50Twuncle wrote: »
    I would guess both - my MRI would have cost the CCG £900 - If the charges on a leaflet that I saw rang true - this would presumably be mostly profit - my local hospital MUST have been cheaper - if not then the private company must be doing something wrong...

    No, the CCG will pay a much lower rate as they'll buy in bulk.
  • 50Twuncle
    50Twuncle Posts: 10,763 Forumite
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    BorisThomson wrote: »
    No, the CCG will pay a much lower rate as they'll buy in bulk.
    Yes - but an NHS hospital must be cheaper ?
  • GlasweJen
    GlasweJen Posts: 7,451 Forumite
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    edited 9 February 2018 at 11:06PM
    50Twuncle wrote: »
    Yes - but an NHS hospital must be cheaper ?

    Your neighbouring trust will have other considerations to juggle. If they're lending out their mri appointments to their neighbours (i.e. everyone from your area) then people from their own area will be waiting longer for scans and breaching waiting times. Additionally the hospitals trusts aren't always quick at paying their bills to each other, if they ever do which makes hospitals reluctant to lend out their slots to previous offenders.

    This is a huge issue where I'm from. I grew up on the border between nhs glasgow and nhs Lanarkshire and have always been treated in nhs glasgow hospitals. Nhs glasgow eventually got tired of nhs Lanarkshire clogging the glasgow system and started pushing back the Lanarkshire patients by being much more strict with post codes and refusing to see Lanarkshire patients without a special circumstance and a guarantee of the funding being in place. Lanarkshire patients aren't happy as they are used to the glasgow system and in most cases live closer to the glasgow hospitals. Its now years down the line and nhs Lanarkshire patients still travel miles to present to Glasgow A&E departments rather than go the the Lanarkshire A&E. My mum would rather crawl to Glasgow Royal than phone an ambulance as they'd take her to Monklands. When my sister was pregnant my mum seriously begged her to move in with me so she could give birth in a glasgow hospital and not Wishaw General.
  • clairec79
    clairec79 Posts: 2,512 Forumite
    of course if you changed to the GP in your town, and therefore trust you'd be sent there for any tests
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