GPs owed wages refuse to work at eHarley Street-linked surgeries

Doctors have warned of “dangerous” staffing levels and “potentially catastrophic” supply shortages at practices supported by GP management companies.

Some locum doctors have refused to work at the Welsh practice linked to Ehaley Street because they have to pay back wages totaling around £250,000.

One long-serving doctor also told BBC Wales that he had experienced worrying hygiene issues, with Aneurin Bevan Health Board in South East Wales saying: I am aware of that,” he said.

However, the website eHarley Street flatly denied this claim, saying it was “bringing joy back into common practice.”

Dr Mark Wells, clinical lead at Bryn Mawr Medical Practice in Blaenau Gwent, said on a recent day: “I was the only general practitioner in a clinic with 11,000 patients.”

He said the operation required the equivalent of five general practitioners.

He said locums on temporary GP duty “are basically refusing to work because they know they’re not getting paid.”

He described staffing levels as “dangerous” and said surgeries had previously been ended early due to a shortage of clinicians.

“I had 50 patient calls yesterday. If there’s an emergency call, I’m not available.”

Mr Bryn Mawr is contracted by the health board to two GPs, and the same two GPs operate eHarley Street.

Staff at the surgery said they were told a “central management team” at E Harley Street would be responsible for things like human resources, finances and doctor bookings.

“There’s no guarantee you’ll get paid,” said Dr Samantha Jenkins, who works at Blaenavon Medical Practice and Bryn Mawr Medical Practice in Torfaen and has debts of more than £10,000.

Dr Jenkins said he was told to submit a bill to eHarley Street, which was seen by BBC Wales.

She said doctors are now refusing to work.

“We have families, houses, mortgages,” she said.

Dr Jenkins said limited oxygen had been available at the Blaenavon clinic for “several weeks” and said this was a “huge concern for patient safety”.

“In an emergency situation, this can be catastrophic,” she says.

The Welsh surgery associated with eHarley Street is Brynmawr Medical Practice. Blaenavon Medical Clinic; Pontypool Medical Center; Bryntillion Surgery, Burgod. Tredegar Health Centre; Aberbeg Medical Practice; Geliger Surgery, Hengoed; Corporation Road Surgery in Cardiff and Lissley Medical Center in Newport.

BBC Wales understands that at least 37 clinicians are affected.

Dr Ian Jones, who also worked at the practice in Bryn Mawr, said he owed more than £2,000, and BBC Wales confirmed there had been correspondence between him and Eharley Street about the money. .

In addition, two doctors, Dr Hussain and Dr Khan, who asked to only be used by their last names, who work at Lisserie Medical Center in Newport, said they were each owed £20,000 for consultations.

Dr. Hussain, who has been a doctor for 25 years, was concerned about the services provided to his patients.

“I feel really sorry for the patients,” he said. “They are not providing the necessary reservations and services,” he added.

Dr. Hussain said he understands that eHarley Street performs surgeries on a daily basis.

The company’s website says it’s “bringing joy back into common practice.”

The company offers a “practice management solution” to general practitioners, whose “team of experts” can “relieve” medical professionals of “administrative burden” and provide “a high standard of patient care.” He says he believes it.

Each GP surgery in Wales is contracted to an individual GP, but all nine GP practices in Wales are listed on the ‘Our practices’ page on the company’s website. The company also supports 15 practices in the UK.

Most of the clinics in Wales are based in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area, including one in Cardiff.

BBC Wales has seen correspondence from a medical supplies company that has suspended its eHarley Street account “due to overdue invoices”.

“The lack of communication is terrible,” says Simon Juniper, who works for a company that supplies local doctors for surgeries.

He said he had stopped supplying locums to Eharley Street-backed surgeries in Wales because it was owed £25,000.

GPs contracted to carry out the surgery said they were facing financial “difficulties” and some treatment costs were “delayed” but would be resolved.

Amy McChrystal, manager at Bryn Mawr Medical Practice, said e-Harley Street’s “biggest selling point” is a central management team that “can coordinate support such as rotas and appointment locations.”

However, she said some staff were still waiting on their October payslips, waste bills had not been paid and there were prescription concerns.

“People are going to pharmacies and asking for emergency medication supplies because they didn’t get their scripts from us in time,” she said.

BBC Wales has also reported that clinics have been canceled and patients are waiting due to difficulties in obtaining supplies such as wound packs and speculum.

Ms McChrystal said staff had raised concerns with the health board and visited the eHarley Street headquarters in Leicestershire.

Hered Fichan, member of Plaid Cymru in the Senedd (MS), expressed concerns about e-Harley Street in a recent Senedd debate, saying that large companies were “starting to enter the market for GP services, and many “We have acquired and operated several surgeries.” “Easy to understand example”.

“This continues the harmful trend of taking benefits out of the health care system and into private pockets, and also weakens this provision,” she said.

BBC Wales has learned that a local GP’s bid for a contract with Bryn Mawr Medical Clinic was rejected by the health board.

Dr Sadequr Rahman, from Cardiff, who has been a doctor for 25 years, said he was new to the situation and said he owed £1,850.

He has worked at sites in Blaenavon, Bryntillion, Lythrie, Tredegar and Aberbeg, but said he had had to manage waste disposal himself at Blaenavon.

“We had to take out the bins, wrap them in plastic carrier bags and put them in the waste disposal area. It was very full,” Dr Rahman said. “If clinical waste is not treated, it is a hygiene issue.”

eHarley Street said in a statement from its lawyers that the company “does not have any general medical services (GMS) contracts in Wales” but that three of its partners have “several contracts” for surgeries. “He may have outlined the complaint,” he said. ”.

“General practice operations are currently under significant financial strain,” the report said, and “surgeries run by partners are facing similar challenges.”

“Unfortunately, some payments are delayed, but the majority have been resolved and our partners are confident that no outstanding payments will remain.”

The newspaper reported that the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board had “carried out an emergency assurance meeting and clinic visit” and that the surgery had “no concerns identified regarding patient safety, health and safety, staffing levels or resources and that the GMS The company confirmed that the work was carried out within the scope of the contract. .

“The partners strongly believe, without any objective basis or substantiation, that many of the allegations originate from two disgruntled employees.”

A health board spokesperson said the company “does not have any GMS contracts with e-Harley Street Primary Care Solutions” and that all such contracts are with “designated individual GPs”. said.

The commission said: “We are aware of concerns relating to GP partnerships within health board areas and are working to ensure that GP partners are operating in line with their contractual obligations. “We meet regularly with our GP partners.”

“We recognize the high demand for primary care services nationally, and this is also being experienced here… We are committed to providing sustainable and reliable services to our citizens. We are fully committed to working with and supporting GP Partnerships.”