Virgin Care GPs resign over conflict of interest fears
Friday 26 October 2012
Printable
EmailHundreds of GPs working for Richard Branson's private health-care provider Virgin Care have resigned amid speculation that their new roles as health commissioners risk a major conflict of interest.
Under government NHS reforms many of the 300 former Virgin Care GPs could be responsible for commissioning billions of public money to health-care providers.
The mass GP resignation happened on Wednesday after recognising that they stood to profit if they commissioned services to local Virgin providers, known as GPCos, which the company said have been in the process of dissolving over the past 18 months.
As if the bungling NHS reforms were not embarrassing enough for the Tories who drafted them, Prime Minister David Cameron evaded an important question on the issue during PMQs on Wednesday that hinted at Tory links to Virgin Care.
Labour MP Debbie Abrahams challenged Mr Cameron to explain the relationship between Virgin Care donations to the Tory Party, the number of Virgin Care shareholders on clinical commissioning boards and the number of NHS contracts that have been awarded to Virgin Care.
But the PM avoided the question, nervously highlighting trade union donations to Labour.
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