FOI Ref: 0120FOI1920

11th October 2019 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information 

We are pleased to respond to your request for information and our response is set out below:

Request

I am writing to you to kindly request information under the Freedom of Information Act.

It is now known that two Clinical Commissioning Groups (NHS Mid Essex CCG and NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCG) have encouraged their General Practitioners to ask patients to consider using private medical insurance for their cancer care. This resulted in substantial increases in referrals to private health care and might have impacted positively on patient outcomes.

Question for your Clinical Commissioning Group

Did your Clinical Commissioning Group in any way encourage General Practitioners to ask their patients to consider using private health/medical insurance for cancer care? If yes, please provide the date of such communication.  

Response 

No, NHS Sheffield CCG does not in any way encourage GP’s to ask patients to use private health insurance for cancer care.