NHS spending on independent services is up by more than 10%

Primary care trusts in England spent 10.7% more on services commissioned from independent healthcare providers in 2011-12 than in the previous year, new data show. This compares with a 3.5% rise in total healthcare spending.

The analysis by the healthcare intelligence consultancy Laing & Buisson comes as a leaked letter from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to the health minister Lord Howe expresses grave concern that the government’s changes to healthcare are leading to creeping privatisation.1

NHS Financial Information 2013 shows that total NHS spending on healthcare services supplied by private companies and …