Virgin to take over Community Health & Care services in Bath and North East Somerset

[Crazedwraith]

From the BBC:

A £700m contract to provide community health and care in Bath and North East Somerset over the next seven years has been approved for Virgin Care.

The council said it was "an exciting new chapter in the integration of health and care services".

Trade union Unison said members were "anxious" about Virgin Care taking over and it would hold the firm "to the high standard the workforce deserve".
Virgin Care said it was "pleased to be chosen to deliver more joined-up care".

The deal will see Virgin Care take over more than 200 health and care services in people's homes and communities, in such areas as district nursing, dementia care and supporting vulnerable children.

'Paid a pittance'

Councillor Vic Pritchard, from Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: "Local people can look forward to a more joined-up and personalised service in the future, with the focus firmly on prevention and supporting people to maintain their independence."

John Drake, from Unison, said: "Many community health staff are paid a pittance, despite the long hours they put in and their dedicated work.
"Employees need clear recognition from Virgin that a well-run health service means investment in staff."

A Virgin Care spokesman said: "We're looking forward to working with the many outstanding professionals, and a range of great partners, to provide and oversee high quality, easy-to-navigate services which are shaped by the people who use them."

Services are to be transferred to Virgin Care on 1 April 2017.

And a rather more critical article at the Mirror.

Virgin handed contract to run 200 NHS services as Tories sell off more of our health service

A Tory-led council agreed Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Care could run more than 200 NHS services - and campaigners fear it is the start of the health service being sold off.

Virgin is to become the first private firm to run adult social care after winning a controversial £700million contract.

A Tory-led council last night agreed Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Care could run more than 200 NHS services.

But campaigners fear it is the start of the health service being sold off.

Cllr Eleanor Jackson said: “Make no mistake about it, what has happened here is the beginning of the privatisation of the NHS in this country.

“The Tories have let us all down and everyone should be horrified about this decision.

"Woe betide you getting ill in this area if you are old, disabled or have learning difficulties in the next seven years. It is just a horrifying decision.”

Protesters in the council chamber booed as Bath and North East Somerset councillors voted in favour of the landmark deal.

The decision was approved with 35 votes to 22. It came after a unanimously favourable vote by the council’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.

The decision has been the subject of controversy for months.

One protester who descended on the Guildhall in Bath before last night’s vote said: “This could be a huge watershed for healthcare in this country and finally realise the Tory dream of killing off the NHS once for all. We will be vocal in our outrage.”

I Can't pretend the idea of the tories killing off the NHS is any thing but worrying and horrible. But on the other hand, it is a local council initiative not a government one and its not privatisation per se. The NHS is paying them not customers.

Still... not a good sign.

[mr friendly guy]

I thought you guys had private companies do some parts of running hospitals anyway, at least in logistics. For example Serco runs some of the logistics in the hospitals. They also did it the newest hospital in my state of Western Australia and were keen to tout their experience in working in UK hospitals. Their switchboard have no fucking clue how to run a hospital switchboard, although they try. I mean you get lines like this

me : Can you put me through to the PBS thanks
them : What's PBS *

* pharmaceutical benefits scheme, where I need government approval to certain prescriptions

or

me : Can you put me through to <insert position here> mobile since they are not picking up their page
them : We don't know who is rostered on for that position.

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However that being said, in Australia we run a hybrid public and private system anyway. However generally the private sector have their own hospitals for the most part, although there are some areas where the private sector takes over certain roles in the public hospitals, although it is supported by the tax payers dollar. For example logistics as mentioned above, but also radiation oncology seems to be run a private company (at least in WA), but they have grounds on the public hospital to see public patients.

Going on, the thing we worry about with privatisation is the private sector charging whatever they want, and most people can't afford it. I think as long as the private sector are only confined to a small section, and there is no increase cost to the patient, the only concern should be standard of care. In the above case, we have to see if Virgin care can match the public equivalent.