The NHS continues to be overcharged for surgery contracted out to private health providers, according to recently published figures from the financial year 2002-3.

The NHS reference cost for a coronary bypass operation is £6320 ($11 280; €9496), but 1600 such operations were done on NHS patients by private contractors last year at an average cost of £12 060—an extra 91%. The NHS spent an average £4660 on each hipreplacement done by its own staff but paid an average of £6848 for private hip replacements.

Health minister John Hutton admitted when the NHS reference costs were published that operations done …