The Guardian view on NHS privatisation: the wrong treatment
NHS waiting lists are out of control. Around 7.5 million people are queueing for hospital treatment in the UK, around 6 million of them in England, where this is the highest number since records began in 2007. In Wales, more than a fifth of the population is waiting for treatment. There are differences in the policies adopted by the devolved administrations to reduce backlogs. In England, it is clear that an increased role for the private sector is the government’s plan.
The details of the recovery plan promised by ministers are still being finalised, with NHS bosses resisting what they regard as unrealistic targets. Finding a way to increase surgical capacity, so that more operations can happen more quickly, is the priority. The impact of delays is both social and economic: people waiting for cataracts can’t see properly; people who need joint replacements may struggle to walk. But there are worrying signs that any new contracts will tip the system’s overall balance further in favour of for-profit providers, and away from the NHS.
The unprecedented pressure that the NHS is under ought to lead the government to invest in it, not compel it to rely on businesses to do its work. Yet as with education, where the government chose to buy a package of pandemic catch-up tuition from outside partners rather than funding schools themselves, ministers are opting to meet the additional health needs of the population through the private sector. Earlier this month, Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, warned the health secretary, Sajid Javid, that she does not believe the latest three-month deal with private hospitals represents value for public money. She was overruled, with Mr Javid ordering her to accept it despite
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