NHS services worth £15billion have been privatised in the past five years, despite Tory denials that they are selling off the country’s health service.
Research has revealed that contracts awarded to private firms almost doubled from £1.9billion two years ago to £3.6billion last year.
The study, commissioned by health workers’ union the GMB, was carried out by independent data analysts Tussell.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “This is blatant profiteering and flies in the face of Boris Johnson ’s claim that there would be no privatisation on his watch.
"This galloping privatisation is breaking up integrated care, costing the taxpayers and leaving a poor-quality service for patients.”
The research shows that since 2015, most of the contracts have been awarded to Care UK. It got 17, while Virgin Care Services was offered 13.
Virgin Care was criticised after it sued the NHS to secure an £82million contract for children’s health services in Surrey.
Rahana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: “These figures expose the extent to which our NHS is increasingly falling into private hands.
@Outsourcing is bad for patients and NHS staff.”
