NHS in good hands?

[GastonJ]

BBC News - NHS hospital management by overseas firms 'discussed'

One email talks about "interest in new solution for 10-20 hospitals but starting from a mindset of one at a time with various political constraints".

The Observer reported that the "international hospital provider groups" would want certain conditions regarding taking over the hospitals, such as "a free hand on staff management", but that the NHS would be allowed to "keep real estate and pensions".

probably means that the private companies get all the profits and the rest of it is paid by the taxpayer.... so much be Dodgy Dave looking after the NHS...

[super jumbe]

Since the nationalisations of banks, gas, elec, NHS, what good have ever been for the tax payers??..

The big cats are only for profits and I can not see any good to the tax payers in the coming days!!!!!!!!!!!

[GastonJ]

It will only get worse, and we still have 4 years left of them, that's if people wise up and don't vote for them again. However people have very short memories and usually go for the "what's in it for me" party....

The NHS should stay public, the only parts that private companies want is the parts they can make a profit on. Look what happens with the likes of BUPA now, they carry out procedures for money, and where do their 'mistakes' end up?.... in A&E with the NHS with the taxpayer footing the bill. Great to take money and know that if anything goes wrong that the taxpayer will pay eh. Very sound business model.

[bobwill]

looks like private heath done nicely under labour and civil servents but the tax payer lost
labour wasted 300million on private hospitals
Tories say Labour wasted ?300m on using private providers to cut NHS waiting times | Politics | The Observer
labour wastes 12 billion on IT
Health Direct | Labour waste
and a Quote from public accounts committee
LABOUR failed to give taxpayers value for money from the billions they poured into hospitals, a report has found.
Despite NHS spending increasing by 70 per cent over the past decade, productivity actually declined in hospitals, the Public Accounts Committee said last night.
Committee chairman Margaret Hodge, a former Labour minister, said: ?Over the last 10 years, the productivity of NHS hospitals has been in almost continuous decline.
?Over the same period, the amount spent on the NHS increased from ?60billion to ?102billion a year.
?The quality of the health service has improved as a result of this increase in spending.
?But the taxpayer has been getting less for each pound spent.??
The Health Department must now seek to reverse the trend, she said.
The target is efficiency savings of up to ?20billion a year by the end of 2014-15 to reinvest in healthcare, she added.

Over the last 10 years, the productivity of NHS hospitals has been in almost continuous decline

Margaret Hodge, a former Labour minister,



One key problem is that national pay contracts were not used effectively to manage staff performance. While consultants had enjoyed significant pay rises, their productivity had fallen.Health Minister Simon Burns, a Conservative, said: ?This is yet another sign 13 years of Labour policy failed to deliver value for money in the NHS.
?We are committed to the NHS, which is why we are modernising it and making sure money spent on bureaucracy will be spent on making sure patients get the best care possible.??
Previous research showed the number of NHS managers doubled under Labour and rose six times as fast as that of nurses.
Managers? pay also rose faster than that of nurses.

[Snowy79]

Got to agree it doesn't matter whether it's Labour, Conservative or the Raving Loony Party. Every one of them is capable of wasting our money. The only thing I do agree with is something has got to be done about the Billions being wasted in the NHS.