HCA International publishes outcomes data

HCA International, London’s leading private hospital company, says it has become the first in the independent sector to publish outcome data.

The group have published an ‘HCA Quality Report’ showing how their hospital group performs in comparison to its rivals for its six hospitals and two outpatient centres including the Harley Street Clinic and the famous Portland Hospital.

A HCA spokesperson told E-Health Insider: “HCA has been collecting outcome data for about six years now. We thought that now was a good time for us to publish this data and show our customers why they should stay with us.”

The new ‘HCA Quality Report’, shows how their hospitals perform in key areas such as cardiac surgery survival, MRSA, surgical site infections, intensive care survival rates and unplanned readmissions.

According to HCA, the data contained in the report confirms that they out-perform, or are on a par with, some of London’s leading NHS acute hospitals.

The spokesperson added: “The report really reinforces the fact that as a group HCA are at the forefront of the private healthcare sector. Using the same benchmark guidelines as those used by the Healthcare Commission for NHS hospitals, the data shows that our private healthcare is definitely worth the cost.”

HCA hospitals believe that publishing there data will help position them as a hospital of choice within the highly competitive private healthcare market. The hospital group has invested more than £100m to become the top choice for acute medical procedures in London, and believes this is now being reflected in the successful outcome data.

HCA’s commercial director, Raj Vasudevan, said: “Patient satisfaction surveys just aren’t enough. Anyone who is paying for private treatment has done so because they want to access ‘the best’. Patients expect this information to be available and we are delighted they will be able to receive it from HCA.”

HCA believe that rival private healthcare companies will soon start releasing similar data, especially in the midst of increased demand from private medical insurers, advisors and patients to have more information about quality of care.

The spokesperson added: “There is a broker interested in doing this for all private hospitals and making then more accountable for the fees they are being paid to offer the very best in healthcare.”

One of HCAs main rivals, BUPA, told EHI that it was already making outcomes data available. Patients and GPs can now access easy-to-read outcomes data about all BUPA Hospitals using the latest version of the BUPA website www.bupahospitals.co.uk.

Managing director of BUPA Hospitals Ltd, Clare Hollingsworth, said: “BUPA Hospitals is committed to informed patient choice and we’re delighted to be the standard bearer for the independent sector by publishing this data. We hope others follow suit to the benefit of all patients