NHS bosses took months to meet over GP firm complaints

Brynmawr Medical Practice was one of the surgeries managed by eHarley Street

NHS officials took months to meet doctors following complaints about surgeries run by GP management company eHarley Street.

The company has been criticised by patients, doctors and First Minister Eluned Morgan, and is now handing back most of its Welsh practices, which apart from one in Cardiff, are in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area.

It follows safety, staffing and supply concerns revealed by BBC Wales at the end of last year.

A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan health board said it placed eHarley Street under enhanced monitoring in September 2024 after concerns were raised, and will continue to work with the firm.

Concerns about surgeries in Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Newport and Caerphilly county were raised last August.

But health board officials met the GPs responsible only in late October, according to an internal health board document seen by BBC Wales.

It also shows the health board gave the GPs who also run eHarley Street more public money after concerns were raised.

The document states: "In August 2024, concerns were highlighted to the health board by local staff."

It goes on to add: "The health board has instigated a period of enhanced monitoring for the GP partnership with bi-weekly meetings.

"The focus of these meetings is governance, workforce and finance as well as any specific concerns.

"The first of these meetings was held on 28 October 2024".

About 100 people attended a public meeting to discuss the poor service at eHarley Street-managed Brynmawr Medical Practice

Internal Aneurin Bevan University Health Board documents have been seen by BBC Wales after a freedom of information request to the Welsh government.

The documents show the health board blamed social media for the rise in patient concerns.

"There have been several social media posts which have encouraged the public to contact the health board to raise concerns, as a result there has been an increased number of concerns for Brynmawr in particular," it said.

The internal "Briefing for Chair" document outlines some of the concerns raised, including a lack of clinical cover, a failure to pay locum staff, a failure to pay suppliers and the cleanliness of practice premises.

A spokesperson for the Aneurin Bevan Health Board said it conducts "routine contract reviews" for all partnerships.

After concerns were raised about eHarley Street in August 2024, the Health Board asked the GP partnership for information and placed them under enhanced monitoring in September.

It added that it will continue to work with the partnership under these arrangements.

eHarley Street has been approached for comment.

In a previous statement, the partners who run the surgeries said they faced "significant financial constraints" but were "committed to addressing these challenges".

Senedd members have already called for answers to how the Leicestershire-based private company came to operate within the Welsh NHS.

Welsh surgeries managed by eHarley Street:

• Brynmawr Medical Practice, Blaenau Gwent

• Blaenavon Medical Practice, Torfaen

• Pontypool Medical Centre, Torfaen

• Bryntirion Surgery, Bargoed, Caerphilly

• Tredegar Medical Practice, Blaenau Gwent

• Aberbeeg Medical Practice, Blaenau Gwent

• Gelligaer Surgery, Caerphilly county

• Lliswerry Medical Centre, Newport

• The Corporation Road Surgery, Cardiff

eHarley Street manages nine surgeries in Wales but is handing back five to the Aneurin Bevan health board.

The documents show that when concerns were raised about the practices, "assurances" were given to the health board "by the central operations manager on behalf of the partnership".

Each NHS surgery is contracted to individual GPs who have responsibility for that practice.

GPs still owed money

The documents show the health board gave extra public money to the doctors responsible for the surgeries - who are also the bosses of eHarley Street - to pay for locum GPs.

"In order to maintain safe levels of clinical cover the health board has agreed financial support for locum reimbursement", the document said.

However, some locum GPs are still waiting to be paid months after working in eHarley Street surgeries - some are taking legal action to recover their wages.

Dr Samantha Jenkins, a locum GP and former partner in a surgery is still owed around £7,000 after working at two eHarley Street practices

Dr Samantha Jenkins, a locum GP and former partner in a surgery is still owed about £7,000 after working at Blaenavon Medical Practice, in Torfaen, and Brynmawr Medical Practice.

Ms Jenkins said the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board did not take doctors concerns seriously and the process has been handled "very slowly".

"We started to raise concerns just a few months after eHarley took over and only now we're starting to see some movement.

"They certainly haven't fed back to us directly about our concerns - they seemed to take eHarley's word as gospel and believed everything they were being told."

Ms Jenkins added that the extra public money has still not made its way to doctors.

"With regard to outstanding payments, it's still very much a problem for many of us which still haven't received our money, which we're owed.

"Sustainability funding is available to all partnerships but it's actually very difficult to get this type of funding, it does seem a little bit odd that they've received it so readily.

"Although this funding has been given, it's certainly not finding its way into the hands of everyone that's been owed."

Call for inquiry

In December, there were demands for an inquiry into eHarley Street after patients, some with terminal illnesses, said they were having difficulty accessing appointments and treatments.

"It frightens me - I don't feel safe," said Katrina Hughes, 69, a terminal cancer patient who struggled to get an appointment or see the same doctor at Brynmawr Medical Practice in Blaenau Gwent.

"There's no continuity of care at all."

She was among around 100 people who attended a public meeting to discuss services at the practice - many said they struggled to get appointments or were waiting for medication and test results.