Health Services: Private Sector
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring private health providers to pay a fee back to the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth
No assessment has been made of the merits of private health providers paying a fee back to the National Health Service.
Independent healthcare providers do have a role to play to strengthen the overall health service in England. NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Provider Network recently agreed a new Partnership Agreement that supports the use of excess independent sector capacity to help meet the Government’s commitment to tackle elective waiting lists, and to provide the choice of being treated by independent providers, at no cost to patients. The agreement is also clear that independent sector providers will support broader work to grow the overall elective workforce, provide training opportunities, and continue to meet the same high standards expected of all providers.
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