Halton Hospital shelves controversial 'NHS price list' service

The hospitals had been accused of increasing privatisation of treatments but said on Thursday it would be reviewing the service 'to ensure it can in no way disadvantage NHS patients'.

A spokesperson confirmed: "To date, no NHS patients have been impacted as no one has been treated as part of the My Choice service.

"The Trust continues to meet all of its diagnostic, cancer and referral to treatment standards."

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury said: “This is good news on the face of things and I’m pleased to see the Trust has listened to concerns not only raised by myself and Labour colleagues, but unions and the winder community too.

"I’m taking this news at face value but we must also be guarded too, as this would only appear to be a temporary pause.

"More broadly, this is testament to what we can do when we all work together and fight for our NHS.

"The next step now is to prevent urgent care services at Halton Hospital from being run by a 'for profit' private sector operator.

"This is something I will be continuing to campaign on.”

The trust’s My Choice scheme was launched back in 2013 and announced the ‘affordable, self-pay service’ would be expanded.

Last year, new treatments were offered to patients who have been denied NHS procedures include hip and knee replacements, cataract and tonsil removals and breast enlargements and reductions.

It stated operations would take place at Warrington Hospital, Halton Hospital and the Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre.

At the time of the expansion, chiefs outlined how the programme includes procedures no longer available on the NHS, and another option for patients classified as being a ‘low clinical priority’ by commissioners at a ‘fraction’ of the cost of private providers.

Private treatments are priced at between £1,072 and £8,447.

The hospital has hit out at claims that it charges NHS patients for NHS funded procedures.

Mel Pickup, chief executive of Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS trust said: “The trust does not charge NHS patients for NHS funded procedures. Not all healthcare services are funded by the NHS.

"These services are referred to as Criteria Based Clinical Treatments (previously called Procedures of Low Clinical Priority).

"It is not the role of hospitals to determine which services are funded and which are not. This is the role of NHS commissioners.

"Therefore where a patient wishes to have a procedure that is not funded by the NHS they can approach the private sector.

"Therefore, the trust, like the majority of hospitals is now offering self-funding procedures to their patients.

“The trust launched the My Choice service in September 2018, a self-pay service to enable access for our patients for these services.

"Also included on the list are procedures which are available on the NHS with strict criteria set by the commissioners.

"By offering them via our My Choice service it makes them more accessible for patients who otherwise would not qualify for them under commissioner guidelines.

“Procedures such as hip and knee replacements and cataract removal operations remain available on the NHS in the usual way if the criteria are met.

The controversial 'price list' of surgical procedures

"We are now also able to offer these procedures via our My Choice service to make them more accessible for patients who otherwise would not qualify for them under commissioner guidelines.

"As well as enabling affordable, convenient access for patients, this will enable the Trust to generate additional income to support our other NHS services.

“My Choice is by the NHS, for the NHS. Patients are treated as part of the Trust’s normal elective programme, there are no special privileges and they simply occupy a slot on a scheduled list. There are no private rooms and they will join the same waiting list as other NHS patients.”