A subsidiary of an American company is poised to take over a contract to provide support services for GP-led health groups in Kent and Medway.

Optum, which is part of the UnitedHealth insurance group based in the USA, operates as a profit-making company.

It has secured a contract worth £979,855 over four years to provide back office services for the eight clinical commissioning groups that operate in Kent and Medway.

Optum has been identified by the government as one of a group of prefered contractors to provide a range of services in the NHS, such as contract negotiations and medication optimisation.

That refers to ensuring that where patients take a range of medicines, they are cost-effective and clinically effective.

It will take over the services from the North East and London Commissioning Support Unit and the contract is expected to start next February.

It is unclear at this stage how many staff will be affected but a response to a Freedom of Information request said that “no staff had been identified for redundancy.”

Optum already provides services to a number of other GP-led clinical commissioning groups elsewhere but this is the first contract it has secured in Kent.

On its website it says that “we believe that spending more on health care is not the answer” and that its expertise can help to address “in-year financial challenges.”

It is the latest NHS contract to be handed to the private sector in Kent.

Virgin took over the running of Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital and Sheppey Community Hospital as well as Livingstone Hospital in Dartford and Gravesham Hospital in Gravesend last year.

A number of CCGs have already signalled they are expecting to rein-in spending by limiting some non-essential treatments and operations because of an on-going funding crisis.

Swale CCG disclosed last week that it was facing a £6m overspend if it took no action.

And last month, the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (WKCCG) said “significant cost savings” were needed to balance the books and rationing additional services would have to be considered.