24th February 2023

Former NHSE chair lobbied for private firm
Former Tory minister David Prior sent an email to the CEO of NHSX (technology arm of the NHS) urging him to ‘have a conversation’ with the head of American digital health giant Teladoc. It looks as if the leaders of our NHS are keen to privatise it.

Should legal action be part of a health service?
When a hospital trust was legaly challenged by a firm whose bid was unsuccessful, the trust withdrew the offer to the successful bidder. King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ invited bids for a  non-emergency patient transport contract. Once the decision was made an unsuccessful bidder sued the trusts and in response the trusts withdrew the offer to the winner. How much does this sort of commercial activity cost our NHS? Is privatisation value for money?

Does the NHS need “rebranding”?
Should the NHS spend its funding to “rebrand” itself? Is the public’s image of the NHS defined by a commercial impression governed by PR branding, or is it down to its provision over the years of comprehensive high quality care for all?

PPE Medro argue it supplied what was asked for
“Ministers were to blame for ordering £122 million of unusable hospital gowns from a firm”. So said its lawyers. The firm is linked to the Tory peer Baroness Mone; it had no experience in procuring such produce.

NHS docs to strike: pay cut by 26% since 2008
Members of the British Medical Association are expected to take part in a 72-hour walkout, possibly in mid-March. “Junior doctor roles had seen pay cut by 26% since 2008 once inflation was taken into account”.