Bupa has revealed the first results statistics on its controversial open referral initiative, and the results are encouraging according to the insurer.
Under the scheme, GPs do not recommend consultants to patients but leave the referral for consultant treatment ‘open', Bupa then advises on three consultants for its client to choose from.
So far this year, 85% of corporate clients when offered the choice have taken up open referral and the satisfaction level of those who have actually used it stands at 93%.
Customer satisfaction levels are 54% higher than normal satisfaction levels and customers report a 21% higher quality of service compared with usual levels, while dissatisfaction with service is about a third of normal rates.
Revealing the statistics to the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (AMII) annual general meeting, Dr Annabel Bentley, medical director for health and welbeing at Bupa, said: Bupas objectives in responding to the market place are to provide a better experience of care and to keep private healthcare affordable."
Office of Fair Trading research among GPs had previously suggested very limited use of objective quality or cost data by GPs when they make referrals.
In its commissioned report Programme of Research Exploring Issues of Private Healthcare among general practitioners and medical consultants it says: "GPs accessed a range of information about privately practising consultants of which information sent by the facilities within which consultants worked and informal social contacts were the most common."
It added: "As regards discussions of choice of facility and/or consultant, just under half of GPs saw their role primarily as providing general information that enabled patients to make their own choice.
"Another half of GPs believed their role involved providing more detailed guidance. Only a small proportion of GPs believed that they should recommend a specific facility and/or Consultant to a patient who wished to be treated privately."
