The NHS is “leaking” money to private companies in contracts to build and run hospitals, a report says.
Under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), companies provide money for new hospitals and then charge annual fees.
The Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) publication – based on 107 PFI contracts in England – said such companies had made pre-tax profits of £831m in the past six years.
The Department of Health said less than 3% of the NHS budget was spent on PFI.
PFI has always provoked vigorous debate about whether the benefit is worth the long-term cost.
The CHPI argues the money made by private companies could have been spent on patients…..read more
