15.10.14
Most local clinical contracts go to non-NHS providers
More than half of clinical contracts awarded by CCGs since April 2013 have gone to non-NHS providers, according to analysis by the NHS Support Federation.
The campaign group analysed tendering notices published by CCGs under European Union rules and found that deals worth £266m were agreed between April and September 2013. Over the same period in 2014, the total value was just more than £2bn.
NHS Support Federation’s data, shared with the BBC, also revealed that since April 2013 573 contracts have been advertised. Of these, 88 have been awarded, with 56% of them going to non-NHS providers.
They reported that some contracts have gone to private companies, voluntary organisations and some to existing NHS providers.
A government spokesman said that now local doctors, rather than politicians, have control of their NHS budgets to help improve patient care.
“Use of the private sector grew far faster under the previous government, and it now represents only 1% more of the NHS budget than in 2010,” he added.
In April this year, private company Circle was awarded a £120m five-year contract to organise musculoskeletal services (care of muscles and joints) in Bedfordshire. This was one of the first contracts to go to a private firm, which will co-ordinate care, using hospitals and physiotherapists as necessary.
But Professor Tim Briggs, a leading orthopaedic surgeon, told the BBC: “I think for trauma services, patients want to know that if they fall down, they’ve got a local hospital that they can give them the trauma help they need. And I'm concerned that that might be at risk because of the financial destabilisation of the trusts.”
NHE contacted the NHS Clinical Commissioners organisation with regards to the figures, but at the time of publication had received no reply.
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