November « 2009 « Look After Our NHS

Private providers not in it for the long haul?

Guardian, 29/10/09

Data from healthcare market analysts Laing and Buisson indicates a sharp increase in NHS electic work taking place in private hospitals.

In an accompanying press release, William Laing quoted: ‘If and when self-pay demand returns, and as medically insured activity grows in the future, existing independent hospitals will wish to return to their core private business’.

The BMA believes this demonstrates that private providers are happy to treat NHS patients while the self-paying market is lax, but are keen to ‘return to their core private business’ as soon as that business picks up.’

Read BMA Council Chairman Dr. Hamish Meldrum’s full comments.

Posted in Reports | Posted on: November 30, 2009