Under Article 22.2 of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014, consultants are required to send written fee information prior to outpatient consultations and prior to further tests or treatment.
The Order requires that hospitals ensure this happens and supply an appropriate template letter, which has been approved by the CMA, for consultants to use. Cardiff and Vale UHB has provided its consultants with the template letters below so that the advice provided to prospective patients is compliant with the CMA order.
Please note that the template letters indicate the level of information that should be provided in writing to prospective private patients to inform a decision to commence treatment. Actual template letters will be amended by consultants within the underpinning CMA legal framework to reflect the recommended treatment pathway.
The letters are also required to signpost to the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) website for patients to find useful information on the quality of performance of hospitals and consultants.
For information, PHIN is an independent, government-mandated source of information about private healthcare, working to empower patients to make better-informed choices of care provider.
If you do not receive the appropriate template letter from your consultant prior to treatment please contact the Private & Overseas Patients office.