05.09.11
German company could take over NHS hospitals
Freedom of Information requests have revealed that a German company has been in talks to take over 10 or even 20 NHS hospitals – contradicting the Government’s pledge that the NHS will not be privatised, critics say.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley dismissed those criticisms as “ludicrous scaremongering”, saying: “We will never, ever, privatise the NHS.”
Officials from the Department of Health, the NHS, and the management consultant McKinsey met one of the largest German private hospital chains, Helios, to discuss ‘potential opportunities in London’, according to the document.
Helios is known for improving performance in failing hospitals, yet has been criticised for cutting staff and wage levels to do so. Once EU competition law applies to the health service, non-British firms will be able to run NHS hospitals.
The Shadow Health Secretary John Healey said it looked like a ‘secret meeting’ to privatise the NHS, and is at odds with the Government’s public position on long term plans for the health service.
But a Department for Health spokesperson said: “It is not unusual for the Department of Health to hold meetings with external organisations.
“Any decisions to involve outside organisations, such as the independent sector or foundation trusts, in running the management of NHS hospitals would be led by the NHS locally and in all cases NHS staff and assets would remain wholly owned by the NHS.”
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley maintained: “Claims that we aim to privatise theNHS amount to nothing more than ludicrous scaremongering. We have made it crystal clear, time and again, that we will never, ever, privatise the NHS.”
This news comes ahead of the voting on the health reforms in the Commons tomorrow. A meeting today at 5pm will discuss changes to the bill
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