An end to the NHS paying for private treatment for its staff has been signalled by Health Minister Edwina Hart after an appeal from Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood.
Plaid Cymru discovered that six health staff in the Gwent area working for Aneurin Bevan Health or its predecessor body had been treated privately with one case in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Other Welsh health boards stated that they had not used private healthcare for their staff over the last few years.
In a letter to Leanne Wood, the South Wales Central AM, the Health Minister said: “I would not normally expect a Local Health Board or Trust to pay for a member of staff to receive private treatment.
“However, my officials have made inquiries to find out why they, or their predecessor bodies, paid for employees to receive private healthcare in the past.
“I am not able to provide any specific details because of patient confidentiality. But I understand that in these exceptional cases the health bodies in question took the view that, rather than allow the staff concerned to spend a lengthy period on sick leave with the attendant costs of finding locums on a temporary basis, it was considered preferable from an NHS cost and patient treatment perspective for them to receive private treatment.
“My officials have advised the new LHBs (Local Health Boards) not to adopt this policy in future,” added the Minister.
Leanne Wood said: “I am pleased that it is being made clear to Local Health Boards that use of private health care for the treatment of staff is not acceptable.
“Some health bodies have used private healthcare while others had a policy of not, which I believe it is the correct stance to take. Use of private health treatment for staff by the NHS goes against the whole concept of equality of treatment.
“You cannot have a situation where it might be seen that select NHS staff are allowed to jump treatment queues for whatever reason.”
