British Care Provider Wants Doctors to Franchise

Is Franchising The Next Advancement in British Health Care?

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. - A Birmingham health care provider, part of Britain's National Health Service, wants to copy the business format of McDonald's and Pizza Hut to solve their health care problems. The Heart of Birmingham PCT thinks having its general practitioners operate as franchises is the solution to opening during hours in which its patients need them to operate (take note American doctors) and in providing more flexible services to patients.

The British Medical Association is up in arms.

For now, once a general practitioner's neighborhood clinic has been set up, the GP's clinic will exist as long as they want. 5 and 10 year franchise agreements would fundamentally change a GP's security of tenure. Local doctors are concerned that franchise chains could become health care "supermarkets" that would eventually replace more personal "corner stores."

Read more at the Times Online