NHS is spending more on private providers despite government pledges

The NHS in England is spending increasing amounts of money in the private sector to provide services for its patients despite government promises to roll back on the role of the independent sector in the NHS.

The recently published annual accounts of the Department of Health and Social Care show that the NHS spent £9.18bn ($11.5bn; €10.2bn) on the independent sector in 2018-19,1 up from £8.76bn the previous year.

The BMA has criticised what it sees as “record amounts” of taxpayers’ money being diverted out of the NHS, despite comments made by health secretary Matt Hancock to MPs in January during an evidence session of the health and social care …