BMJ  2006;332:1233 (27 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7552.1233-c

News

Derbyshire primary care trust "failed to consult" over contract

Clare Dyer, legal correspondent

BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A High Court judge in London is expected to rule soon on a legal challenge to a primary care trust's decision to allow a US based healthcare company to take over the provision of GP services in a deprived ex-mining community in Derbyshire.

Figure 1
The judge's decision over Langwith surgery (above) will have implications for plans to open up the NHS to alternative providers

Credit: ALEX NUNNS

The contract for primary care services at Cresswell and Langwith is one of the first to be tendered for under government plans to open healthcare services to the market.

North Eastern Derbyshire Primary Care NHS Trust declared UnitedHealth Europe, part of the giant US United-Health Group, to be the "preferred provider" for the services last December. But the contract was put on hold after a local parish councillor, Pam Smith, won permission to mount an application for judicial review (BMJ 2006;332. . . [Full text of this article]


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