The news that the ABI and British Medical Association (BMA) agreement on GP report (GPR) fees has broken down will usher in a period of uncertainty.
I also find it difficult to believe that simply going for access to full medical records via customers will turn out to be a viable solution in most circumstances. First, it is worth remembering why the agreement exists at all. The BMA have suggested a moral case – that it is in the public interest. This argument may have merits but it is not the original basis of the agreement. In fact, that an agreement is possible at all is due to competition law. Normally such an agreement would constitute price fixing and be illegal. An exemption applies because GPs hold a monopoly on patient ...
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