Politicians demand watchdog investigation into controversial GP company

Politicians have called for an investigation to be launched into the relationship between a health board and a controversial GP-led company which used to run nine practices across Wales.

Last year, several locum GPs told Pulse they were owed thousands of pounds from eHarley Street, an England-based company owned by two GP partners.

It was later revealed that more than 40 GPs had been affected by the issue, with two ‘owed in excess of £300,000 from contracts that haven’t been fulfilled by eHarley Street’.

The company has since handed back five of the contracts and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board also published a report into the issue, which acknowledged ‘financial challenges’ experienced by the company and the ‘failure to pay locum staff’.

But Torfaen Labour MS Lynne Neagle and Labour MP for Torfaen Nick Thomas-Symonds said that ‘many constituents’ have contacted them ‘with concerns’ about Pontypool Medical Practice, which is still run by eHarley Street, and that in recent months, they have held 10 meetings with the senior leadership at the health board.

However, they said that responses from the board did not provide constituents ‘with the level of reassurance they need’.

The politicians have now written to the public spending watchdog Audit Wales to ask that an investigation is carried out into the health board’s ‘engagement of eHarley Street and subsequent management of the contracts’.

In a statement, they said: ‘In the circumstances, we have – jointly – written to the Auditor-General for Wales to ask that an investigation now take place into the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s engagement of eHarley Street and subsequent management of the contracts, focussing on Pontypool Medical Practice.

‘This is not a step we have taken lightly, and we will, in the interests of our constituents, also continue our dialogue with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

‘We emphasise that this is in no sense a criticism of the staff at Pontypool Medical Centre who we know are working with great dedication, often in what we understand are difficult circumstances.’

Audit Wales has confirmed to Pulse that the Auditor General received a letter from Ms Neagle and Mr Thomas-Symonds and responded to indicate that the watchdog already has work underway to ‘obtain a better understanding’ of how the health board is managing the concerns they have set out and will determine ‘whether any further audit work is necessary on these matters’.

The health board previously told the politicians that it is ‘closely monitoring the GP partnership’ as part of its escalation framework where the practice remains in ‘enhanced monitoring’ to ensure it ‘meets the requirements of the contract’.

It added that governance and assurance visits have not identified ‘any immediate patient safety concerns’ and there has been recent progress with recruitment to advanced nurse practitioner posts and GPs for the practice.

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board told Pulse: ‘The GP partnership of Dr Allinson and Dr Ahmed hold the GMS contract for Pontypool Medical Centre and currently have a registered population of 17,200 patients. This GP partnership also manage Lliswerry Medical Practice and Gelligaer Surgery.

‘The health board continues to work closely with the partnership, through enhanced monitoring arrangements, in respect of the three practices to ensure contractual compliance and the ongoing delivery of accessible primary care services. The enhanced monitoring has not identified any contractual breaches or safety concerns.’

Solicitors speaking on behalf of the eHarley Street told Pulse that ‘elected representatives’ have issued public statements and media commentary ‘without engaging directly with the partnership or its leadership’.

In a statement, they said: ‘Our client’s view is that the real crisis in Welsh general practice lies in chronic underfunding, outdated allocation formulas such as the Carr-Hill model, and a workforce under immense pressure. These systemic issues are consistently underreported.

‘Against this backdrop, our client has gone to significant lengths to sustain and protect NHS services – including personal and private capital investment to maintain safe staffing and operational continuity at Pontypool Medical Centre.

‘For this reason, our client welcomes the involvement of the Auditor General for Wales. An independent and transparent review is the appropriate forum to examine the facts, clarify responsibilities, and address misinformation. It will demonstrate that the practice is operating safely and in line with contractual obligations, and that its leadership has consistently acted in the interest of patient care.’

When concerns were raised towards the end of last year, the health board emphasised that the GMS contracts for the practices are held with Drs Jalil Ahmed and Jonathan Allinson as GP partners, rather than with eHarley Street Primary Care Solutions.

However, GPs and staff told Pulse that day-to-day management of the surgeries sits with eHarley Street, based in England, and the Welsh practices are listed under ‘our practices’ on the company’s website.

In December, the GP partners admitted to delays in payments, but claimed they are ‘isolated instances’ concerning a ‘small number of GPs’, and that it reflects ‘broader systemic pressures’ on general practice in Wales.