Important information from the Competitions and Markets Authority: Your requirements as ‘private’ consultants

As you know, consultants who offer private treatment services are under a legal obligation to be transparent about the typical fees they charge patients for private consultations and procedures.

The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has been set up as a one-stop shop for patients to find all the information they need when considering a private procedure, and as it grows it is important for consultants to have a presence there – so they can be found by new patients, as well as to fulfil their legal obligations.

PHIN has been mandated to collect performance and costs information and publish this information to better inform patients on their website, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2014, which found a lack of transparency in the costs that patients can expect to pay when accessing private care. The lack of transparency is particularly felt by those who self-fund. This is the group that often has the least information about the cost of their procedure and are most vulnerable to unforeseen charges.

PHIN will also be publishing performance information on consultants, provided by the private and NHS hospitals at which they work. Consultants can review the information PHIN holds on them to check it for accuracy and completeness, to ensure that patients get reliable information on the consultants who treat them. To log onto the PHIN consultant portal please use this link: https://portal.phin.org.uk

These requirements are part of the Private Healthcare Market Investigation (Variation and Commencement) Order 2017.

PHIN has provided a range of support guides for consultants new to the process:

Guide to logging onto the PHIN Portal

https://portal.phin.org.uk/Lists/Resource/PHIN%20Portal%20Log%20in%20steps.pdf

Guide to submitting fees to PHIN

https://portal.phin.org.uk/Lists/Resource/PHIN%20Consultant%20fee%20submission.pdf

We encourage all consultants that see patients on a private basis to engage proactively with this process. This is not only a legal requirement, but is also important for providing patients with all the necessary information when considering their care. It’s also useful for you to have a presence on PHIN, so new prospective patients can find you.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the PHIN team at consultants@phin.org.uk