NHS buys private hospital for £27.5m
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The National Health Service bought back an entire private hospital yesterday, leaving ministers to shrug off suggestions that the taxpayer was "propping up" the independent health sector.
The unprecedented £27.5m purchase means the revamped Heart Hospital, in central London, has become a part of the NHS and should reduce waiting lists because it will double the number of cardiac operations performed in the capital.
The decision has made union officials uneasy because the hospital will continue to treat about 600 private patients a year despite its new public role.
In addition, 162 staff at the hospital transferring to the NHS will retain their superior private sector salaries creating a two-tier pay structure.
However, ministers said the deal, which was sealed on Monday, was a "golden opportunity" to improve capacity for heart surgery in London.
The hospital's former owner, Singapore-based Parkway Group Healthcare, decided to sell the 95-bed unit because it was struggling to attract enough patients.
Parkway paid £60m to buy the Heart Hospital from the NHS in 1991. The hospital's chairman Sir Richard Needham said the NHS had, therefore, doubled its money and had a "tip" of a hospital transformed into a state-of-the-art service in the meantime.
But Geoff Martin, London convenor of Unison, claimed the purchase was a "bail-out" rather than a renationalisation.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments