THE first minister and three members of the Senedd have criticised a company that provides management services to GP practices, and which has allegedly not been paying some people.
Eluned Morgan said she was “deeply concerned” by the problems at GP surgeries across Gwent after an English company, eHarley Street, started providing management services to them.
In the Senedd this week, three members spoke of the difficulties their constituents have faced getting the care they need since the company got involved in the surgeries.
eHarley Street dispute the claims it has not paid staff.
Alun Davies, Labour MS for Blaenau Gwent, said: “The failure of eHarley Street is a disgrace.”
Mr Davies MS said people in his constituency have been unable to access GP care and that doctors are left unpaid, staff are being bullied, and supply contracts have not been paid, claims that eHarley Street denies.
“When Aneurin Bevan established the National Health Service, he established a service that guaranteed access to all.
(Image: Senedd TV) Alun Davies, Labour MS for Blaenau Gwent.
“What we cannot have is primary care services being sold off to people who don’t give a damn about the people they are supposed to serve,” said Mr Davies MS.
Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales East, Delyth Jewell also spoke in the Siambr (chamber), saying: “Patients we have heard, are finding it difficult to get appointments. Doctors are not being paid by this company. Some are owed thousands of pounds.”
Lliswerry, Pontypool, Brynmawr, Bleanavon, Tredegar, Aberbeeg, Gelligaer, and Bargoed GP surgeries are all listed on eHarley Street’s website under the header ‘our practices’.
(Image: Google) Brynmawr Medical Centre is one of the GP surgeries managed by eHarley Street.
Another MS representing the area affected, Hefin David, who represents Caerphilly, said: “Patients have noticed a deterioration in service since they took over.”
Mr David called for the Welsh Government to intervene, saying: “The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has not been given us convincing answers thus far.”
A spokesperson for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board told the Argus: “We are aware of concerns related to a GP partnership within the Health Board region and are meeting regularly with the GP Partners to ensure they are operating in line with their contractual obligations.”
(Image: Senedd TV) Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan
The First Minister said the Health Secretary Jeremy Miles will be meeting with members of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in the coming weeks.
She said: “If things don’t improve then, of course, we will expect there to be a consequence.”
Call for enquiry into contract
Ms Jewell MS called for an enquiry into how the contract was awarded, saying: “I do worry that this model, if not checked, could represent privatisation of GP surgeries by the back door.”
(Image: Senedd TV) Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales East.
First minister Morgan said most GP surgeries are run independently from the health board, which means they can be run by “effectively what is seen as a private company”.
However, she said she was concerned about the circumstance of eHarley Street’s management, saying: “What I am not happy with is a model which is effectively run at a distance, where contracts are not respected and I think this is taking us down a route that we have got to be very very careful of.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable not to pay people for a job that they have carried out.”