Babylon Health cautious about UK expansion
Babylon Health’s CEO Dr Ali Parsa has said that the company needs to be “very cautious” about expanding its business in the UK as it loses money on every patient. … Read more
Sheffield Trust sues over PFI building failures
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust has launched legal action against Hadfield Healthcare Partnerships and Kajima Construction Europe after the closure of the Sir Robert Hadfield wing at the trust’s Northern … Read more
Two donors who gave Tories £1m between them handed public health jobs
Two businessmen who together donated more than £1m to the Conservative party have been handed prominent public health jobs, igniting a new “cronyism” row. In March, Oluwole Kolade was made … Read more
Push for virtual wards an opportunity for the private sector
The push to expand the number of ‘virtual wards’ across England is set to be another opportunity for independent providers to gain NHS contracts. NHS England wants a rapid expansion … Read more
Patients forced to go private as dentists quit NHS
“Dental deserts” are emerging across England after more than 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year, leaving millions of people struggling to get checkups or have toothaches fixed, a new report from … Read more
Police raid Michelle Mone’s home over multi-million pound PPE fraud
The police have raided the London home of Tory peer Michelle Mone as part of a police fraud probe into multi-million pound PPE deals relating to a company she has been linked … Read more
Private hospitals being paid £2bn a year by NHS for mental health patients
The NHS is paying £2bn a year to private hospitals to care for mental health patients because it does not have enough of its own beds, according to a report by Laing … Read more
‘How did I let her go there?’: mother laments daughter’s private hospital death
Caroline Sharp believed that when her daughter Emma Pring was admitted for treatment at the private Cygnet hospital in Maidstone, it would be a turning point in her daughter’s life. … Read more
RCGP chair warns that general practice may “end up like dentistry”
The chair of the RCGP has warned that there is a ‘real threat’ that general practice will face the same fate as dentistry in the UK – where a growing … Read more
Matt Hancock’s stay at mansion of Randox founder revealed
The former health secretary Matt Hancock was given an overnight stay at a country estate owned by the head of Randox, the healthcare firm that had hired the MP Owen Paterson as a … Read more
Private mental health clinic placed in special measures
A specialist eating disorder hospital, the Shoen Clinic in York run by Newbridge Care Systems, has been placed in special measures and told to make urgent improvements within six months … Read more
NHS waiting lists drive more people to pay for treatment
An increasing number of people in the UK are paying for private medical treatment because of the record delays people are facing trying to access NHS care, a report from Laing & … Read more
Campaigners oppose vaccine manufacturing centre sell-off
Campaigners have been reacting to the government decision to flog off the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC), which is being built near Oxford with over £215m of taxpayers’ money, … Read more
‘Inadequate’ private hospital ‘not suited to modern psychiatric care’
Cygnet Wast Hills, an independent hospital for people with complex learning disabilities or autism, has yet again been rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission following a visit in November … Read more
Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre under privatisation threat
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve learnt a number of incredibly important lessons on public health. We’ve learnt the UK government was woefully and unnecessarily unprepared to handle a pandemic of … Read more
Private sector set to milk the NHS
While NHS resources are facing a renewed and tightening financial squeeze, the limited funds available are more likely than ever to be diverted to paying for services in private hospitals … Read more
Government paid firm linked to Tory peer £122m for PPE bought for £46m
PPE Medpro, a company linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone, made an extraordinary profit on the sale of surgical gowns to the government. The gowns were sold to the government … Read more
Sussex CCGs finally get payment from disastrous outsourcing contract
NHS commissioners in Sussex have finally got back some of the money owed them following the 2016 collapse of the non-emergency patient transport services contract with Coperforma, according to a report … Read more
Private hospital rated ‘inadequate’ again amid safety concerns
The Priory Arnold, a mental health hospital run by The Priory Group, that was put in special measures last year has once again been rated “inadequate” following a newCare Quality Commission inspection. … Read more
‘Lack of respect’ for children at ‘inadequate’ hospital
The CQC has found that the staff at Huntercombe Hospital Stafford failed to provide kind and compassionate care and did not treat children with respect. The hospital was downgraded from … Read more
