Dr Nicholas Price
Transparency under the CMA Order 2014
All private healthcare operators are required under the Competition and Markets Authority Order 2014 (“The CMA Order”) to be transparent about the relationship between their doctor and the private healthcare operator. Therefore, prospective patients should be aware that (in addition to being permitted to consult with and to treat patients at our facilities) this doctor also has an advisory role with HCA UK and is paid by HCA UK for this advisory role. We describe the nature of the role below, and we indicate how much the doctor has been paid for performing the role since 1 January 2023
Dr Price is a member of Westminster Clinical Infection Consultants LLP. This is a team of consultants and clinical leads in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. The team’s special interests include infection prevention and control, decontamination and healthcare associated infections.
In addition to working with HCA's Corporate leaders, Westminster Clinical Infection Consultants provide medical advisory services for HCA's London Bridge Hospital in particular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases services. In their role, they lead interactions with hospital medical staff and the hospital leadership team to assist the hospital by providing advice on infection prevention and control, decontamination and healthcare associated infections.
In their role, they contribute to the strategy, policies and decision making regarding Microbiology, Infection prevention and control, decontamination and healthcare associated infections and advise HCA to ensure that care provided within the facility is appropriate and efficient. In their role, they advise on initiatives to drive clinical standards by providing professional advice on clinical governance matters and ensuring the adoption of those by colleagues in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
In addition, they work with medical insurance companies and other relevant local NHS contacts to educate and advise on relevant clinical updates to Microbiology, Infection prevention and control, decontamination and healthcare associated infections available in the facility. Furthermore, they advise on the accuracy of literature that may be published regarding relevant services. They will also advise on how to make the patient referral smooth to reduce stress and anxiety for patients.
HCA UK is charged by doctors in return for their expertise and advice, including on how to operate safe hospital facilities delivering complex care. All services provided under this agreement are charged to HCA UK. In 2023 the total paid to this group of four doctors for these services was £207,382.
If a doctor provides HCA UK with medical advisory services and also practises in the NHS, HCA UK requires that doctor to attest that he/she is not compromising his/her NHS commitments in so doing.