Content area
Full text
Britain's leading private health insurer has removed NHS trusts from its list of preferred hospitals in a move that could cost the NHS up to £40m ($60m). BUPA's new scheme offers financial inducements to patients in return for agreeing to treatment at 150 selected independent hospitals, including rival Nuffield hospitals. Private wings of NHS trusts are excluded from the scheme for most treatments.
The NHS Trust Federation, an umbrella organisation for NHS trusts, last week condemned BUPA's new health fund and will be meeting with the company next week to urge them to rethink the list of preferred hospitals. "Many trusts generate a significant amount of...