Stop giving money to private health providers

Submitted by Matthew on 29 March, 2017 - 10:58 Author: Charlotte Zalens

The crisis in the NHS cannot be solved by increasing funding alone. Some funding needs to be reallocated. According to research by the Health Foundation, half of last year’s nearly £2 billion government cash injection for the NHS was given to private providers. That practice has to end!

The Health Foundation’s report also says £1 out of every £8 of the budgets allocated by local commissioners in England is now spent on care provided by private providers. Health campaigners say this is the result of a toxic mix of long-term chronic underfunding to the NHS resulting in the NHS not being able to handle increased demand, and legislation designed to enforce competition in the “health market”.

This situation will only get worse, points out Anita Charlesworth, director of research and economics at the Health Foundation: “NHS hospitals were left squeezed by sharply rising drug and staff costs with little additional funding.The result was big deficits that had to be covered by raids on investment budgets.”

Investment budgets would usually enable the NHS to cope with increasing demand, work on prevention, or invest in new technologies. It is good that Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has promised to reverse “the Tory privatisation agenda.”

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.