The death of an NHS patient has led to the issue of safety for NHS patients treated in private hospitals being raised directly with health secretary Jeremy Hunt. Simon Nelson, … Read more
private providers
Hospital trusts are spending millions of pounds setting up arm’s-length private companies, which health unions fear will turn staff transferred into them into “second-class employees”. Fifteen trusts in England have … Read more
Over-reliance on informal arrangements by independent hospitals and doctors is a “major concern” and could put patients at risk, the Care Quality Commission has warned. Following inspections of more than … Read more
Pulse reports that a second provider of private online GP consultations, Push Doctor, is looking to offer its services via the NHS. The company currently offers video GP consultations ‘in … Read more
NHS England continues to receive between 5,000 and 10,000 items of clinical correspondence a month that have been sent in error by GP practices to Capita, according to a report by … Read more
Thousands of Londoners have signed up for a controversial NHS smartphone service that allows video consultations with a GP around the clock. The GP at Hand app attracted almost 7,000 Londoners in its first … Read more
Richard Branson’s Virgin Care won a record £1bn of NHS contracts last year, as £3.1bn of health services were privatised despite a government pledge to reduce the proportion of care … Read more
A deal has been agreed to stave off the collapse of Four Seasons Health Care, which looks after 17,000 elderly and vulnerable people, after the company’s largest creditor agreed to … Read more
A County Hall decision to award a £104m healthcare contract to the private sector instead of the NHS has sparked a storm of protest in Lancashire. Richard Branson’s Virgin Care … Read more
The government will launch an independent national inquiry into the actions of the rogue surgeon Ian Paterson, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail in August after carrying out … Read more
The NHS has had contracts with private hospitals to carry out elective surgery for many years and patients were able to choose a private hospital under the choose-and-book system. Successive … Read more
Since 2012 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and Trusts have sought to outsource non-emergency transport for the NHS. Emergency work has largely remained the remit of the ambulance trusts across the … Read more
People with drug and alcohol addiction are being put at risk of harm at many independent residential rehabilitation units, a new report has warned. The Care Quality Commission published the report today … Read more
A third young people’s mental health service run by Cygnet Health Care has been heavily criticised by the Care Quality Commission – which ordered admissions to be suspended unless it … Read more
Virgin Care has demanded more money for a controversial prime provider contract it signed with commissioners in Staffordshire last year, HSJ has learned. East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group has said it is … Read more
NHS England named Cygnet Health Care as a partner in a new care model for young people’s mental health 10 days after inspectors found serious failings at its hospital in … Read more
A mental health hospital in Woking recorded 24 serious incidents a year including serious self harm a CQC inspection has found. There were several serious failings including, failure to protect … Read more
A terminally ill cancer patient has protested after the NHS hospital where she receives palliative therapy included advertisements for a private clinic with her appointment letter. Ali Schofield, 33, who … Read more
“A GP, eh? Well I guess there are worse things you could do.” That was the only careers advice I got in my final year at medical school. The Royal … Read more
Theresa May has been urged to tighten checks on private hospitals used by the NHS after a Labour MP raised the case of a young patient with an open wound … Read more