Kent and Medway: Review into patient harm after DMC 'failure'

At least 18 serious cases are being investigated by NHS bosses after GP and dermatology services were stripped from private medical company.

The Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) confirmed on Monday an independent review was taking place. It will see if delays to treatment for thousands of patients using DMC Healthcare services "caused harm".

The NHS removed contracts worth £4.1m a year from the private firm in July.

DMC was responsible for nearly 60,000 patients at nine surgeries in Medway, and skin condition services in other parts of Kent, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In north Kent, there were 1,855 patients needing urgent treatment and a further 7,500 on the dermatology service waiting list. Of those, 700 had been waiting more than a year.

Nikki Teesdale, from Kent and Medway's CCG, said it was "too early" to reach definitive conclusions around the 18 serious cases. Speaking to Kent and Medway's joint health scrutiny committee on Monday she said of the 18, five had been waiting "significant periods of time" for cancer services.

"Until we have got those patients through those treatment programmes, we are not able to determine what the level of harm has been," she added.

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Source: BBC News, 29 September 2020