The president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has sparked a row with independent sector bosses after warning ophthalmology risks becoming largely privatised unless NHS England radically changes the specialty’s “chaotic” commissioning arrangements.
The president Ben Burton told HSJ the specialty was at risk of becoming like dentistry, where patients face charges for services. Private sector lobby group, the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, which last week cited the specialty as an exemplar of how private providers could be used to boost NHS productivity, has described his comments as a “confused” and “unnecessary attack”.
Full story in the HSJ, 21 December 2023
