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A new initiative for a private company to deliver NHS care in London was launched last month. Catchily titled GP at hand, it promises access to your GP remotely through a video consultation from your hand-held smartphone or tablet. It guarantees a same-day appointment; but if you need to see a health professional in the flesh, you can go to one of six clinics located in London.
GP at hand is run by Babylon Healthcare Services Limited, a commercial outfit that can be traced back to a holding company in Jersey. Heading up Babylon is Ali Parsa, ex-Goldman Sachs banker and former Chief Executive of Circle, the company at the heart of the failed experiment to privatise the management of Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Cambridge, and which resulted in compromised patient care and a costly bill for the taxpayer. Amongst Babylon’s investors is Demis Hassabis, founder of the DeepMind company which was recently caught up in a controversy with the Royal Free NHS Trust over concerns about inadequate protection of patient data.
