Test and Trace failure helped Indian variant spread
A report by a local council in the North East of England has found that failures in England’s Test and Trace system are partly responsible for a surge in the … Read more
Release of companies in ‘VIP’ COVID lane blocked by government
The National Audit Office (NAO) has been blocked by the government from revealing the names of companies that were directed to a ‘VIP lane’ to win lucrative COVID contracts. The … Read more
Court told ministers ‘lobbied’ officials over PPE contracts
A court has heard that ministers “lobbied” officials to chase the progress of contracts for the supply of personal protective equipment that were being processed through a government “VIP lane” … Read more
NatWest bank feared contract ‘VIPs’ could be fraudsters
The High Court has heard how the NatWest suspended Matt Hancock’s team from making payments to PPE suppliers at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic over fears they were being … Read more
Test and trace axes thousands of clinical staff
The Independent has learnt that at a “critical juncture” in the pandemic, thousands of clinical staff working on contact tracing for the government’s test and trace service will be axed. The … Read more
Government Pays £38 Million to Firm After Reneging on COVID Contract
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has paid out more than £38 million after reneging on a pre-contract arrangement with a provider of COVID-19 testing services. An NHS … Read more
Healthcare at Home placed in special measures
A Care Quality Commission report states that failures at the private provider Healthcare at Home meant that patients have come to avoidable harm; the company failed to deliver thousands of … Read more
Government asked to reveal details of £2bn Covid contracts with private health firms
The government has been urged to publish details of up to £2bn in Covid-19 contracts to provide extra capacity during the pandemic awarded to private healthcare companies, including some that have … Read more
NHS imaging: national privatisation threat
Guidance recently issued by NHS England could lead to entire networks of diagnostic imaging services being run by the private sector. NHS trusts have until 2023 to set up separate entities to … Read more
Labour reports that Non-NHS healthcare providers given £96bn in a decade
Research carried out by the Labour Party shows that more than £96bn of health service funding has gone to non-NHS providers of care over the last decade, with the amount … Read more
Lobbying scandal shines light on NHS outsourcing
A growing list of NHS leaders have joined Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as components in the lobbying scandal that has engulfed the government … Read more
UK Covid contracts ‘raised red flags for possible corruption’
A report by Transparency International UK said a “seriously flawed” arrangement, whereby companies bidding for contracts were prioritised if they were referred into a “VIP lane” by their political connections, … Read more
Oxford trust chases private income
While most of the NHS battles to catch back up with a still-growing backlog of patients waiting for elective treatment, Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust is looking instead to expand … Read more
Private health sector propped up by NHS
Spire Healthcare has stated that it is “cautiously optimistic” that trading and profits will bounce back to 2019 levels after reporting income down by 6.2% to £920m during 2020, not least because … Read more
Tories accused of corruption and NHS privatisation by former chief scientist
Sir David King, a former government chief scientist, in an interview in The Guardian has accused Boris Johnson’s government of corruption, privatising the NHS by stealth, operating a “chumocracy” and … Read more
Imperial College extends insourcing of support staff
Imperial College Healthcare trust has decided to keep hotel services, which includes porters, cleaners and catering, inhouse across its sites, after the success of a one-year trial. Until early 2020 … Read more
Operose CEO moves to Number 10 advisor position
Samantha Jones, the CEO of Operose, the UK subsidiary of the giant US corporation Centene, is leaving the company to take up a position as health advisor to Boris Johnson, … Read more
£1 Billion in Contracts Awarded to Conservative Donors
Byline Times and The Citizens overview of contract awards reveals that one year after the first COVID-19 lockdown almost a billion pounds in Government contracts has been awarded to 15 … Read more
Mega-lab not privatised insists Department
A response from the Department of Health and Social Care to local MP Matt Western has insisted that the new Leamington Spa “mega-lab” is “publicly owned and operated,” despite staff being recruited … Read more
Frimley drops subco plan
The welcome news has leaked out that Frimley Health is not going to go ahead with any further work on setting up a Wholly Owned Subsidiary. Two years of effort by … Read more
