The health secretary, Alan Milburn, last week defended the government's plans to increase private sector involvement in the health service.
Speaking to the government's health select committee, Mr Milburn said that partnerships with private providers could offer "good value for money for the taxpayer and the highest standards of care for patients." His statements were backed by a memo to the select committee that emphasised that the government had "no intention of replacing or privatising the NHS."
Mr Milburn said there was a "long history" of NHS partnerships with the private sector, but until now the policy had been one of "spot purchasing—that is, the NHS being baled out by a local private hospital." He claimed that "longer term relationships" with private providers would lead to "longer term contracts" and better value for money. "The biggest problem that we've got is the lack of hospital capacity," Mr Milburn said. "The sensible and mature thing is to take advantage of the spare private sector capacity to benefit NHS patients."
However, Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey, said that the "constant reorganisations" and lack of stability in the health service made long term planning very difficult.
Mr Milburn said it was important to take "optimum advantage of the skills offered by private providers." He said that private providers were very good at operating on hips, knees, and cataracts and that the NHS should exploit this. But independent MP Dr Richard Taylor said that this policy merely allowed the private sector to "cream off the easiest and least stressful bits from the NHS" without reducing the burden on NHS staff.
When challenged on the issue of regulation of the private sector, Mr Milburn said this was a matter requiring "further investigation." He said it was important to avoid "over-inspection" that would be "over-bureaucratic and time consuming."
Alan Milburn's evidence is accessible at http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm/cmhealth.htmwww.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm/cmhealth.htm