Emeritus Prof Christopher May3d ago

The NHS is (and has been for such a long time) suffering budgetary constraints, but now we know where a slice of that shortfall is going: In two years private health providers made £1.6bn in profits from their work in the NHS.

Supporters of private provision will claim that money is a reward for extra productivity & efficiency; more realistically we know these firms are cherry-picking treatments & transferring patients back to the NHS when problems arise.

#NHS #health

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/13/private-companies-nhs-services-profit-chpi-research

Private firms providing services to NHS made £1.6bn profit in two years, research finds

Exclusive: MPs say profit-making levels in England are ‘scandalous’ and call for cap on amount private companies can make from NHS

The Guardian
Show threadAngus2d ago
@ChrisMayLA6 interesting article form @pluralistic today Austerity creates fascism https://doctorow.medium.com/https-pluralistic-net-2026-04-13-always-great-our-nhs-f612bbaa0d4a
Austerity creates fascism

We can’t afford to not afford nice things.

Medium
Show threadEdmundo Ventolera

@angusjordan @ChrisMayLA6 @pluralistic

The merry-go-round of referrals from one queue to another for chronic conditions looks like a symptom of privatisation. It is the most profitable way of keeping an unmet need for palliative care in the revenue stream. The policy of paying third party suppliers per process is a profit seeker's dream.

The NHS should be an organisation paid to minimise the need for its services. It can only be provided as a public service for the common good.

Apr 13 at 7:01amWeb
Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher May2d ago

@atm0spheric @angusjordan @pluralistic

Agreed; prevention is the key with public heath.... but as so often in a system with budget entrants, the money flows to immediate need - limits to finding prevention are a false economy