Richard Branson's Virgin healthcare firm scoops £1bn of NHS contracts

Virgin Care’s success highlights fears over role of private companies in NHS and casts doubt on recent assurances by Jeremy Hunt

Richard Branson’s Virgin Care won a record £1bn of NHS contracts last year, as £3.1bn of health services were privatised despite a government pledge to reduce the proportion of care provided by private companies.

Overall, private firms scooped 267 – almost 70% – of the 386 clinical contracts that were put out to tender in England during 2016-17, according to a new report. They included the seven highest value contracts, worth £2.43bn between them, and 13 of the 20 most lucrative tenders.

Continue reading... December 30, 2017 at 12:30AM