A US private takeover of GP services in south east London could be blocked by a judicial review, according to a union.

US health insurance giant Centene Corporation’s subsidiary Operose merged with AT Medics earlier this year which runs 37 GP practices across London in places such as Thamesmead, Woolwich, and Peckham.

Campaigners, including members of Doctors in Unite (DiU), have crowdfunded around £40,000 towards a possible judicial review of the takeover on the basis of lack of transparency.

Ahead of a decision on whether the review will be granted campaigners, led by Unite, are staging a socially-distanced demonstration outside the Department of Health on Monday (July 5) – the NHS’ 73rd birthday.

Doctors in Unite chair Jackie Applebee said: “Ministers and senior NHS executives have repeatedly mouthed the mantra that the NHS is not being privatised, but that is patently not true as the awarding of lucrative contracts to private healthcare firms continues apace.

“We are now hoping to test this policy with a judicial review as to why a huge swathe of English general practice, including the data of nearly half a million patients, was handed over to US health insurance giant Centene – with a breath-taking lack of transparency and openness.

"We have been told by the lawyers that we have a strong case.

“There is a world of difference between a multinational corporation that operates to make a profit, often by cutting staff and services, so that it can pay dividends to shareholders; and local GPs who are very much part of the NHS ‘family’ and provide services from a budget fixed by the Treasury."

The takeover makes Operose the largest provider of primary care in England, serving 500,000 patients.

Operose now runs Thamesmead Health Centre, E16 Health in North Woolwich and three practices in Peckham.

NHS commissioners across 13 London Clinical Commissioning Group granted approval for the change in ownership.

Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn will attend the event on Victoria St, Westminster, along with Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Labour’s health spokesperson on the Greater London Authority Dr Onkar Sahota.

A spokesperson for Operose told the British Medical Journal: “Day to day operations of our GP surgeries, the care that we deliver to our patients and the services accessed through our surgeries will not change.

"Patients will continue to consult with us in the same way that they do today.

“The practice teams will be the same and all the AT Medics leadership team are staying with the organisation as part of our new partnership.

“Covering approximately 530 000 patients, existing AT Medics and Operose Health patients at our 58 practices will continue to receive the same excellent standards of care, while benefitting from further digital access and staff training.

"We have followed all the required regulatory procedures, including obtaining consent from our CCGs.”