Eye surgeons’ membership organisation fined £500,000

Consultant Eye Surgeons Partnership (CESP) has been fined half a million pounds following a Competition and Markets Authority investigation into anti-competitive information exchange and pricing agreements.

The membership organisation of private consultant ophthalmologists admitted breaching competition law and agreed to pay the fine, which will be reduced to £425,000 if it continued to co-operate, the CMA said.

It was the first time formal competition law enforcement action has been taken against medical professionals in the UK.

CESP has 37 limited liability partnerships and 200 consultant members in the UK.

It accepted liability for infringements dating to September 2008, such as recommending members refuse to accept lower fees offered by an insurer, and that they charge insured patients higher self-pay fees.