More than 20 radiographers, radiology assistants and associated support staff, members of the GMB employed by Frimley Health have opted to suspend action following their 100% ballot vote to strike. … Read more
The private equity-owned company, HCRG Care, has been awarded a contract to lead all adult and community services across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care … Read more
An investigation by iNews has found that Voyage Care, one of Britain’s largest providers of care for vulnerable people, has seen a significant fall in safety standards over the past … Read more
Electing a Labour government with its close links to the trade unions raises many expectations. The King’s Speech commitment to legislate policy around workers’ rights includes tackling decades of outsourcing, with … Read more
A survey of 200 eye doctors by the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI), shared with the Guardian, reports that the vast majority believe increased outsourcing of cataract … Read more
Few campaigners or union activists appear to have noticed or commented upon Labour’s Manifesto commitment to roll back privatisation in public services. Some of Labour’s manifesto promises go further than … Read more
Active Care Group, a company owned by private equity that cares for hundreds of vulnerable patients for the NHS, has narrowly avoided going out of business. After months of escalating … Read more
HSJ reports that Clinical Partners Limited and Psychiatry UK, two private companies that offer outsourced NHS assessments for ADHD and autism, have seen huge increases in income. The companies’ steep growth … Read more
The HSJ reports that an arrangement between Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust and Procure Partnerships Framework Limited (PPFL),a procurement service provider, has been challenged in the High Court by rival … Read more
The BBC reports that secret documents show a scramble to safeguard critical public services from the potential collapse of tech giant Atos, which works with billions of pounds worth of … Read more
East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust seems determined to outsource nonclinical support services at Colchester Hospital, 12 years after boasting of the Colchester trust’s success at bringing them back … Read more
The Lowdown survey of 23 ICBs has revealed interesting new information on the extent of local dependence upon private sector clinical services, and the extent to which ICBs and trusts view the … Read more
A private equity-owned private finance initiative company, ByNorth, has agreed to pay for North Middlesex Hospital, London, to be made fire-safe. The company was responsible for building the hospital in … Read more
The BBC reports that the Thornbury Nursing Services staffing agency is routinely charging up to £2,000 a shift to provide last-minute freelance nurses to NHS hospitals. Glen Burley, chief executive … Read more
A chain of GP surgeries in London run by a private company has been operating “without permission” from NHS commissioners since December 2023, according to campaigners from North East London … Read more
The business press and private sector spin doctors are doing their best to talk up the growth of the private hospital sector despite increasing signs that the prices of private … Read more
A new analysis led by researchers at the University of Oxford and funded by the Nuffield Foundation has found that virtually all care homes forced to close in England by … Read more
David Rowland on the presence of private equity in the UK health and care market If you are in a vulnerable situation in the UK because of your age, personal … Read more
Privatisation of healthcare results in a reduction in quality of care according to a review paper published this week (1 March 2024) in The Lancet. The study’s authors from the University … Read more
John Hutton signed off thirteen NHS Private Finance Initiative (PFI) building projects as a Labour health minister in 2002 (see footnote). Last month he was appointed to speak up for private sector investors ahead … Read more
