
NHS spends £1.8bn a year on private firms, says GMB in call to end outsourcing
The GMB said requests using freedom of information laws to more than 200 trusts show they spend £1,831,105,580 annually on outsourced contracts.
Almost half the trusts did not respond so the true figure could be far higher, it is claimed.
A separate investigation found ambulance trusts across England spent £290 million on private ambulances during the past three years.
The total annual spend has almost doubled since 2021/22, according to the data.
The GMB said it wants to send a message to the Government from its annual congress in Brighton on Monday.
Ambulance worker Mo Akbar will tell delegates: 'GMB members demand an end to privatisation.
'We must bring all outsourced services like cleaning, catering, and facilities back in-house.
'We demand real-terms restorative pay from the 14 years of brutal austerity.
'Workers and communities should have more say in how the NHS is run, ensuring decisions focus on patient care, not financial targets. Health outcomes are tied to poverty, housing, and working conditions, so NHS rebuilding must also address these inequalities.
'This Labour Government will have a crisis of legitimacy if they choose a path of further privatisation of the NHS, which would put at risk the sense of the collectivism that is at the heart of our health service
'We must be resolute in fighting for our National Health Service.'

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North Wales Chronicle
37 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Surgeons from Europe observe robotic knee surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd
The surgeons, from Poland, Slovakia, Romania and the United Kingdom have been observing the operations carried out by Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Muthu Ganapathi. Ysbyty Gwynedd, in Bangor, has been pioneering robotic knee replacements since 2022 and is the only NHS hospital in Wales to offer this type of surgery. Mr Ganapathi along with colleagues Agustin Soler, Koldo Azura, Amir Azam and Ashok Goel have now carried out more than 250 robotic knee replacements using the ROSA robotic system. Mr Ganapathi said: 'There has been a paradigm shift in how a knee replacement is carried out. 'Traditionally the bone cuts were made with a 'one shape fit all' approach but there is increasing recognition that a personalised approach maybe better. With this type of approach, the bone cuts are personalised to match as closely to the individual patient's knee shape. The precision of the robot allows us to do the personalised bone cuts.' The ROSA being used by surgeons Mr Ganapathi and Mr Soler during a procedure in theatres at Ysbyty Gwynedd. (Image: BCUHB) 'With this personalised approach the recovery seems to be faster and less painful compared to traditional knee replacements.' Sion Quinn, Clinical Lead for Trauma and Orthopaedic Physiotherapy at Ysbyty Gwynedd, said: 'Since the establishment of robotic surgery we have seen patients recovering faster with less pain after their knee replacements. 'Within the NHS we are always looking at ways to improve the patient experience and with the introduction of these robotic knees we have seen improvement in patient outcomes.' MORE NEWS How much was spent on failed Denbighshire Leisure sale – full cost breakdown Man 'trapped' in vehicle taken to hospital after St Asaph crash Last year, Zimmer Biomet (ROSA robot) recognised Ysbyty Gwynedd as an official training centre for robotic knee replacements for surgeons across the UK and Europe which has led to interest further afield in this type of procedure. The use of the robot has also created further benefits by establishing an industry funded advanced Hip and Knee Robotic Fellowship role at Ysbyty Gwynedd. This provides the opportunity for senior surgeons across the UK to work with the robotic team for six months and get trained in robotics before applying for their Consultant posts. Orthopaedic Surgeon, Ashok Singh, who is the current Robotic Fellow has already completed his Orthopaedic training in London and chose this fellowship to advance his skills. He said: 'I was attracted to this Fellowship as the skill sets it offered was unique for this fellowship. It isn't just the robotic technique I am having the opportunity to learn it is also other techniques such as the direct anterior approach which is a minimally invasive technique for total hip arthroplasty and Oxford Uni knees. 'I am really enjoying this Fellowship, the personalised knee replacement technique with robotics has been extremely beneficial and I have seen excellent results. So, it's something I will definitely be using in my practice as I develop in my career.' Mr Ganapathi added: 'We are delighted with the feedback we are receiving from our Fellows since it was established last year – it's been such a positive experience for them and us as Consultants. 'The ROSA has helped us put Ysbyty Gwynedd and the Health Board on the map for innovation and how we are constantly trying to improve our service and ensure we always have the best outcomes for our patients.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
US investment consortium wins £1.7bn battle for NHS landlord
Healthcare property firm Assura Group is set to be acquired by a consortium of US private equity firms after they trumped a rival bid. The increased 'best and last' cash offer of £1.7billion from private equity groups KKR and Stonepeak will be recommended to shareholders as Assura's top brass rejected a rival proposal from Primary Health Properties. The rival proposal PHP valued Assura at approximately £1.68billion. Assura is the latest in a growing list of British businesses being bought out and taken private by overseas private equity firms or investment companies, attracted by cheap valuations. Assura said that private ownership would enable it to secure new funding and invest in healthcare infrastructure, without the pressure of public market expectations. Both Assura and PHP own doctors' surgeries, hospitals and hospices across the UK, and are major landlords to the NHS. KKR, one of the biggest private equity outfits in the US, teamed up with New York investment firm Stonepeak to get the deal over the line. Via their Sana 'bidco' vehicle, KKR and Stonepeak hiked their final offer to 52.1p per share in cash, including two 0.84p dividends. This represented a 39.2 per cent premium to the pre-offer price. After weeks of due diligence into the PHP offer, directors of the healthcare property developer concluded that the bid presented 'material risks and downsides to Assura shareholders', including over-leverage and uncertainty around planned asset disposals. The revised offer from Sana will now proceed via a takeover offer, increasing deal certainty, with antitrust clearances already secured in China, Israel and South Korea, Assura said on Wednesday. Assura chair Ed Smith, said: 'The board's decision to recommend the offer from KKR and Stonepeak follows a careful and thorough evaluation of both offers, during which the board has been firmly focused on its fiduciary duty to shareholders.' 'KKR and Stonepeak are highly experienced investors in healthcare and infrastructure and I am confident that with their support, and the additional capital they will provide, Assura will continue to deliver the high-quality healthcare infrastructure our communities need.' Andrew Furze, managing director at KKR, said: 'After nearly a year of engagement, this is our best and final offer which we believe is lower risk than other alternatives and higher in value offering a significant premium. 'We require no disposals to achieve our ambition and importantly the all cash offer poses minimal execution risk.' Blackrock is the biggest holder of Assura shares, with 9.9 per cent of the equity. L&G, Aberdeen and Quilter are all among the top ten shareholders. Last summer, Assura announced the £500million acquisition of a portfolio of 14 private hospitals from a Canadian REIT. The hospitals are spread throughout Britain, though with a concentration towards London, and were let on long leases to a number of private healthcare providers. Assura shares rose 2.04 per cent or 1.00p to 49.90p on Wednesday, having risen around 27 per cent in the last year.


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Progress unravelled, and millions left vulnerable: how British aid cuts threaten British health too
Right now, aid reductions across the globe are jeopardising decades of progress against preventable diseases, leaving millions of people vulnerable. This retreat from global health threatens to unravel hard-won advances against diseases we have nearly conquered. Polio, which paralysed hundreds of thousands of children annually just 40 years ago, has been eliminated in most parts of the world. Meanwhile, there has been a resurgence of diseases such as measles and cholera in populations besieged by conflict and climate emergencies. Britain faces a critical choice: follow this global trend of disengagement or stand firm as a bulwark for international health security. I understand the tough trade-offs the government must make to get public spending under control, but the stakes extend beyond humanitarian concerns to our own national interests. Last year, the detection of poliovirus in UK sewers threatened our own children and delivered a reminder that diseases respect no borders. Our protection at home depends directly on our commitment to efforts abroad. Yet the government's budget spending review promises precisely the wrong direction. By slashing international aid to a 25-year low – from 0.5% of gross national income to just 0.3% – to finance increased defence spending, the government paradoxically risks undermining our own domestic health security. In real terms, this would gut our development assistance by 40% in just four years. Such draconian cuts would severely undermine all major global health initiatives. Of course, fiscal prudence is necessary, but how can we ignore the humanitarian and strategic costs of these reductions? Even beyond self-protection, a strong global health budget surely reflects our deepest values. No child should die from a disease we can prevent. Threats to global health inevitably become threats to Britain's health, and all our protection depends on maintaining our international leadership in this field. Now, as vulnerable children face renewed threats from these very diseases, polio stands as a glaring example of what is at stake. In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was formed – a landmark public-private partnership led by national governments alongside partners including Rotary International, the World Health Organization and Unicef. This collaborative effort is crucial for tackling a major health threat such as polio. Since worldwide vaccination efforts began, an estimated 20 million children who would have been paralysed are walking today, and approximately 1.6 million deaths have been averted. This is remarkable, but fragile, progress. In 2024, the number of children paralysed rose in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the two remaining endemic countries. In grim examples of how conflict can upend everything, polio paralysed a child in Gaza for the first time in two decades last year and continues to afflict families in Sudan. Not investing in polio could translate to 200,000 new cases of the disease every year, including in countries where it has long been eradicated, and cost the world billions. Pound for pound, prevention has consistently proved to be a 'best buy' compared with endlessly responding to outbreaks. The financial case for continued investment in polio eradication is unassailable. Yet the global eradication agenda faces a critical funding gap of about £1.7bn to meet its overall £5bn target. The UK has invested £1.3bn since 1988 and is one of the effort's staunchest backers. Support is needed now more than ever. At its core, the GPEI is a partnership. To abandon our commitments now, on the threshold of ending polio for good, would undermine decades of investment, leave millions of children unprotected and ultimately cost more in the long run. We have the tools to end polio for good, along with strong public backing: last month, more than 85,000 people across the UK participated in the Rise Together movement challenge in support of efforts to end the disease. As Britain faces its most challenging fiscal scrutiny in decades, the decisions made today will define our country's economic success – as well as our reputation as stewards of a safer, healthier world for all. The budget spending review presents an opportunity to state unequivocally that the UK will maintain a long-term commitment to protecting children worldwide, including our own, from preventable diseases. The choice before us is clear. We can honour a proud tradition of global health leadership by maintaining our commitment to eradicate polio once and for all, or we can retreat at the very moment victory is within reach. Sarah Champion is the Labour MP for Rotherham