14th October 2024

Wes considers using private sector…So?
Streeting says he’ll use the private sector to cut waiting times, but what is the evidence? In its research  the Health Federation says “…ISPs’ [independent sector providers] ability to increase capacity was limited. Care was often just displaced from NHS hospitals to private hospitals, rather than increasing the overall volume of care.” And The Lancet says “…our research raises doubts about whether the current extent of private sector use is optimal for the quality of care and … further increases in for-profit provision would be a mistake.”

PFI firm: “We’ll close down if fines imposed”
A private finance initiative company has warned it may go bust if a hospital imposes any more fines after “severe” fire safety defects were found at its community hospital run by the firm.

How “efficiency savings” impacted the NHS
Here’s a bit of history but it’s worth a look. So called efficiency savings meant cuts, cuts and more cuts!

NHS data: Overseas patients fear privacy invasion
A new data category called Overseas Visitor Charging would be created in national NHS records under government proposals. Doctors of the World, which runs clinics for undocumented migrants said: “Major data-sharing arrangements like this one make it very difficult for us to reassure patients that hospitals are safe places.”