The document published this week by the House of Commons Health Select Committee makes for fascinating reading, even though it will take you a few weeks to wade through the detail.
Snippets so far....
1. NHS spending on private healthcare companies (NHS expenditure on the purchase of healthcare from non-NHS bodies) has increased from £1.1 billion in 1997/98 to £3.7 billion in 2004/05 (page 99). This figure will far higher this year as with the exponential rise in ISTCs over the past 2 years. Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority topped the table for spending the most on private healthcare companies (£238 million) and Leistershire spent the least (only £69 million).
2. The 'Wave 1' ISTCs (the first set of private treatment centres to be set up to provide NHS funded operations) cost 11% more than if the care has been provided by the NHS (p101).
3. Page 54 sets out the payments made each year to PFI companies as the 'unitary charge'. This charge includes the cost of the lease of the hospital plus any services that PFI company provides, e.g. cleaning / portering etc. Norfolk and Norwich are at the top with £43m being paid each year to their PFI company.
More to follow!
Stu.
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