NHS privatisation in England has increased dramatically since the Health and Social Care Act was passed in 2012. The most recent official figures show that in 2013-14 the NHS paid £6.6bn to … Read more
The patriotically named Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) has seen a big opportunity in working with the NHS since 2006. The company has formed what it calls HCA NHS Ventures, which are … Read more
Trade Unions representing half a million NHS workers have warned that a “surge in privatisation” of the health service risks creating a system based on ability to pay, rather than … Read more
Monitor has found against NHS commissioners in the first stage of a competition case, HSJ can reveal. Papers released this week indicate that the regulator, which is responsible for settling complaints about … Read more
An NHS contract worth £750m that collapsed in December after just eight months was effectively signed off by the regulator and NHS England, despite questions about its viability. The contract – the … Read more
The long-awaited arrival of John Lewis to Brighton city centre may have the unintended consequence of leaving 11,500 patients looking for a new GP. The Argus has learned that The … Read more
The future care of 11,400 residents has been thrown into doubt after a health group announced it would stop running five GP surgeries. The Practice Group has announced its intention … Read more
A leaked report has said that callers to out-of-hours GP services run by Integrated Care 24 (IC24) faced waits of more than 12 hours and this posed a “significant risk … Read more
Private provider Care UK has won a five-year contract for healthcare services at Wormwood Scrubs prison in West London. The firm will provide primary care, dentistry, optometry, physiotherapy and podiatry … Read more
Dr Foster consortium wins major commissioning support deal (HSJ: 8 December 2015) Winners of five Midlands commissioning support contracts named (HSJ: 8 December 2015) Private provider wins South West children’s health contract (Nursing … Read more
Private NHS contractor ‘boots out patients before finishing treatment to meet targets’ (Mirror: 21 July 2015) Private providers of out-of-hours GP services deliver poorer care than NHS, research finds (The Independent: 30 … Read more
NHS competition could waste millions says Labour, after Care UK complains (The Guardian: 23 August 2015) Practices closures set to widen GP privatisation (Pulse: 9 September 2014) Monitor angers CCGs with … Read more
Private APMS provider has three practices put in special measures by CQC (Pulse: 7 May 2015) Opening general practice to private providers ‘may have worsened patient care’ (Pulse: 24 April 2015) NHS … Read more
Landmark £800m outcomes based contract collapses after eight months (HSJ: 3 December 2015) MPs round on ambulance firm Arriva after revelation it wrongly claimed £1.5m in bonuses (Manchester Evening News: 3 November … Read more
Bupa ‘harming NHS’ by offering patients “bribes” of £2k to use public services instead of private hospitals (Mirror: 8 April 2014) MP says going private could undermine NHS (This is Cornwall: … Read more
Nottingham dermatology privatisation ‘unmitigated disaster’ (4 June 2015: BBC News) Potential risk of private contract to Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust laid out in impact assessment (Health Investor: 7 January 2015) “Appalling” … Read more
NHS patients sent for treatment at smaller private hospitals ‘put at risk due to unsafe staffing and facilities’ (Independent: 30 November 2015) Bedford refuses to sign Circle MSK contract (HSJ: 7 November … Read more
An investigation into England’s clinical commissioning groups shows that many are commissioning from organisations in which board members are involved, Gareth Iacobuccireports Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England have awarded hundreds … Read more
Traditional models of general practice continue to provide the best patient care while APMS providers seek to transfer costs to secondary care through higher numbers of referrals and exception reporting, … Read more
Nineteen NHS patients have had the outcome of their cataract surgery reviewed after at least two had problems with their eyes following operations at a private hospital. The private provider concerned has … Read more
