Relationships with our consultants
Most of the consultants treating patients in our facilities are not Sulis Hospital Bath employees but rather self-employed practitioners. They practice their specialities in accordance with the terms of our Practising Privileges policy.
In 2014, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued an Order(the CMA Order) regulating the relationships between private hospital groups and consultants who treat private patients or refer them for tests at group facilities (“Referring Clinicians”).
In accordance with this Order, hospital operators are prohibited from entering into any incentive schemes that are designed to encourage Referring Clinicians to refer private patients to, or treat private patients at, their facilities. Sulis Hospital Bath does not operate any such schemes. The Order also requires hospital operators to disclose information about certain arrangements they have with Referring Clinicians, including ownership interests held by Referring Clinicians in the hospital operator; the provision of certain “high value” facilities to Referring Clinicians; the availability of “low value” basic amenities for Referring Clinicians; and any remuneration for services provided by Referring Clinicians to the hospital. Set out below is information about the arrangements we have with Referring Clinicians:
Remunerative arrangements
No Referring Clinician holds any equity or financial interest in Sulis Hospital Bath.
We engage a small number of Referring Clinicians to provide certain clinical services and/or to undertake certain managerial and governance functions at our hospitals. Attached below, is a list of Referring Clinicians who provide such services and the remuneration they receive:
| Name | Role/Title | Services/Responsibilities | Remuneration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Colleypriest | JAG Endoscopy Lead | Advises on clinical audit matters; attends local executive board | £4,000 annually |
| Gavin Jennings | Clinical Chair | Overall responsibility for clinical governance at Sulis Hospital Bath; chairs local executive and attends Hospital Executive meeting | £1,500 monthly |
Facilities
We provide certain facilities to Referring Clinicians at the following rates:
- consulting rooms at £20 per hour
- office space at £20+VAT per day (£10+VAT for half day)
- medical secretarial services at £14.30 – £15.50 (+VAT) per hour
Basic amenities
At each of our hospitals, we provide consultants with the following basic amenities:
- In-housing training programmes to promote clinical and operational safety
- Patient admission, billing, and related administrative services
- Complimentary refreshments and parking
- General marketing and promotional activities
We also host informational meetings and events from time to time to which referring clinicians are invited to attend. While the cost of such events depends on the number attendees, the average cost is less than £1,000.
This information is reviewed annually, and the last review date is October 2023. The next review date is October 2023.