The first purchase of a private hospital by the NHS has been spurred by a surplus of private healthc...
The first purchase of a private hospital by the NHS has been spurred by a surplus of private healthcare facilities in London, according to PPP healthcare.
The sale of the Heart Hospital in London to the NHS by Gleneagles Hospital UK is the first private sale to the public sector. The specialist cardiac facilities at the hospital will benefit NHS patients and many in the industry have speculated that due to the unique facilities it holds, it will be a one-off sale. But PPP healthcare ' which hit the headlines when it refused to include it on its network ' has suggested the move is the consequence of over-provision of private facilities in the London area, suggesting further sales may be on the horizon.
Ben Faulkner, press officer at PPP healthcare, said: 'We believe this development is a natural consequence of competition in London, where private healthcare facilities are over-provided.'
But Peter Furmoy, communications manager at the Independent Hospitals Association, said there is no surplus of healthcare facilities and none of the association's members were planning to sell. 'To suggest there is a surplus of facilities when every bed is crucial is wrong. The hospital involved in the sale is unique and any such facility should be used to the benefit of all patients. Among our membership, there are no intentions to renationalise,' he said.
