Plaid Cymru Senedd Members has welcomed news that doctors and suppliers left out of pocket by a private firm running GP practices have asked to be “prioritsed” by the local health board.

In a letter to Peredur Owen Griffiths and Delyth Jewell, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said they have called on the GP management company eHarleyStreet to come up with a plan that “Prioritised payment of outstanding debts to locum staff and suppliers” as well as “continued assurance on compliance with arrangements with HMRC and pensions.”

The Plaid Cymru Members for South Wales East were told the information in reply to a letter they sent to Nicola Prygodzicz - Chief Executive at the Health Board – raising concerns about the way a number of GP practices in their region were being run. 

Scores of doctors say they have not been paid for locum shifts and suppliers claim they have been left out of pocket too.

In the letter, Ms Prygodzicz said: ‘You will be aware that the Health Board has received the resignation of the GP partnership between Dr Allinson and Dr Ahmed for the contracts that they hold at Brynmawr Medical Practice, Blaenavon Medical Practice, Aberbeeg Medical Practice, Bryntirion Surgery and Tredegar Medical Practice.

‘To ensure a safe transition the Health Board has agreed for the transitional arrangements to commence immediately. Aberbeeg and Blaenavon will be managed by the Health Board from 1 March and then Bryntirion and Tredegar will be managed by the Health Board from 1 April.

‘Recognising the challenges affecting the partnership’s remaining practices, particularly financial challenges, the partnership will continue to remain in enhanced monitoring.

‘Those practices are Pontypool, Lliswerry and Gelligaer.

‘The Health Board has requested that the partnership provides a detailed plan for each of their remaining GMS contracts that describes when and how they expect to enter a period of greater stability, independent of the Health Board, with particular consideration of the following aspects:

• Ongoing close monitoring or clinical sessions and service delivery
• Prioritised payment of outstanding debts to locum staff and suppliers
• Continued assurance on compliance with arrangements with HMRC and pensions
• Maximising income streams available to the partnership i.e. service provision
• Accessing all routine support mechanisms available to GMS contractors
• Assessing the impact of any agreed GMS contract outcome on their position; and
• Consideration of resignation of further GMS contracts, where appropriate.’

She added: ‘The Health Board is working with the partnership to support the development of their plans and arrange a sequential approach to reviewing each GMS contract.

‘During this time contractual management and compliance monitoring will remain to ensure the needs of the registered population are met, with the primary focus being patient safety and access to service provision.’

In response, Peredur said: “I am glad to hear that outstanding wages for locum doctors are being prioritised. I know from numerous conversations that there has been a huge loss of trust from doctors, as well as suppliers, over this whole debacle.

“This inevitably has an affect on patients as well. I hope the plan mentioned by the health board is able to restore trust and a good relationship between locum doctors and surgeries.

“We do not have enough doctors in Wales as it is – we can ill afford to lose what we have got.”

Delyth added: “I hope this plans marks the closure of this unfortunate episode in the provision of GP services in the region. It should serve as a stark lesson to the health and the Labour Government running health in Wales that the private sector is not the cure to all the ills within the NHS.

“Lessons need to be learnt and the government need to show leadership on this matter.”

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