Two thirds of doctors concerned about NHS privatisation, survey finds

A survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) has found that more than two thirds of doctors are worried about NHS privatisation.

The report found that the most common reason for the concern is the worry that private provision destabilises and fragments NHS services. Many doctors reported that the primary motivation for some private sector providers is profit, as opposed to providing high standards of care for patients.

The report found that more than two-thirds of doctors are fairly or very uncomfortable with private providers delivering NHS services. It also outlined that in 2014/15, £6.9 billion was spent on procuring services from independent sector providers, which is a 5.4 per cent annual increase.

The report recommends that private providers should be held to the same standards as NHS providers including transparent reporting of patient safety incidents and performance; and that safeguards should be introduced to protect NHS patients and services if contracts are terminated early by independent providers.

Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said: “At a time when the NHS is facing huge financial pressure, more attention needs to be paid to private sector provision of NHS services to assess whether it provides value for money, high-quality, safe care to patients, as well as the impact it has on other NHS services.

“The NHS exists to provide the highest quality care for its patients. Anyone who doesn’t accept that, or gets in the way of achieving it, should not be allowed near it. That’s true for anyone who works in the health service, and it’s also true for any individual or company providing services within it.

“Patient care simply cannot take second place to finances. In an era of declining funding, rising patient demand and staff shortages, we need a new way forward that addresses the challenges facing our NHS.”