Eye surgery cash goes unspent

NHS Oldham has forked out valuable cash for private eye operations which will not take place.

Health bosses struck a multi-million pound five-year deal with a private healthcare company to axe waiting times which had reached 15 months.

But they overestimated the number of procedures which would take place, and now they are trying to claw back some of the money which will not have been used when the contract ends in May.

Three-and-a-half months before the end of the contract, 3,102 operations had been performed on Oldham people at a cost of £6.8 million.

But a further undisclosed sum has been pledged under the contract, and health bosses are in discussion with the provider — the Greater Manchester Surgical Centre — to recoup money where the contract permits.

“Some recompense may be available and discussions are continuing. We are still working on this,” said NHS chief executive Gail Richards.

NHS Oldham was lead commissioner for services provided by the Greater Manchester Surgical Centre for Greater Manchester’s 10 primary care trusts.

The five-year deal for the 10 trusts overall cost £79 million, and 25,520 procedures have been carried out.

NHS Oldham will not at this stage say how much money is left unused, nor how much it expects to be left at the end of the contract.

Mrs Richards added: “The contract was negotiated nationally at a time when waiting times for operations were over 15 months for some patients, and local hospitals could not respond fast enough to meet patients’ needs and we needed extra capacity.

“Utilisation of this contract has been below expectations.

“However, commissioners are continuing to ensure that every opportunity to utilise the contract is taken in the remaining months.”

Oldham GP and chairman of the NHS Oldham clinical executive, Hugh Sturgess said the contract meant people had been able to have operations “in a very short time,” and feedback from them had been good.