Full Story in The Independent 10 April 2018
Two out of five private hospitals in England are failing to meet safety standards intended to protect the public from harm, health inspectors have found.
A report on the independent acute hospital sector by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found most hospitals were providing good quality care to patients, but said there were serious concerns about safety and leadership.
The CQC warned that the lack of “effective oversight” of consultants working for these hospitals but not formally employed by them was a “major concern”.
The report comes amid a national inquiry into private sector health providers in the wake of the “shocking” malpractice of rogue surgeon Ian Paterson, who was jailed for 20 years for grievous bodily harm and wounding with intent.
The CQC said the need for proper oversight of the doctors operating in private hospitals had been “thrown into sharp relief” by the Paterson case after he was able to perform unnecessary and incomplete surgeries on 750 patients.