07 May 2004
The expansion of privately run treatment centres dedicated to routine surgery might lead to overcapacity, senior MPs warned this week.
The 47 flagship centres, of which 11 are already fully open, are expected to provide an extra 144,000 elective operations a year by the end of 2005 as part of efforts to drive down waiting times.
But the Commons' Public Accounts Committee is urging the Department of Health to take stock of the establishment of centres to minimise mismatch between supply and demand.
'Whilst the five London strategic health authorities worked together to plan for the needs of London, in some cases private sector treatment centres are being sited close to those run by the NHS, and will be in direct competition with them, particularly as more capacity comes on stream,' the report said.
The May 5 report centred on examining the progress that had been made to improve the provision of hip replacement operations since 2001.
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