Labour has ‘historic’ probability to finish personal NHS contracts, Stephen Fry says
Labour has a “historic opportunity” to end or reduce the use of private contracts in the NHS, actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry has said.
The former host of BBC QI today backs new research showing 94% of health service contracts are set to expire by July 2029 – which would be the end of Labour’s first term in office if they win next month’s General Election.
According to an analysis by the public ownership campaign group We Own It, 7,452 outsourcing contracts will be inherited by the next government. Of those contracts, 6,983 are set to expire between July 2024 and July 2029.
We Own It claimed private companies, which are offering catering, clinical services and diagnostics, stand to make over £1billion from the contracts.
Mr Fry said: “After 14 years of the worst outsourcing in the entire history of the NHS, Labour has a historic opportunity to reverse NHS privatisation.
“As We Own It’s analysis shows, they can make a serious difference in reinstating the NHS as the fully public service their party founded the NHS to be, if they choose to.”
“Politicians have historically presented outsourcing as a neutral choice, but it clearly isn’t. It’s resulting in billions leaving public services in the form of profits, which could instead be used to provide a better service to everyone. And as we see with water, the railway and the NHS, it has not worked.”
He added: “Only the NHS has A&Es, trains doctors and treats everyone, however complex their case may be. The private sector doesn’t have its own doctors; it depends on doctors who are trained in the NHS. Building up the NHS’s capacity and reducing or ending outsourcing are among the most important reforms Labour in government can introduce.
“Like everyone in Britain, I owe so much to our NHS. Our NHS speaks to the best of our nature. It is an emblem of the compassion we have for each other. Nothing brings Britain together better than our love for the NHS. Labour has a big opportunity to bring the country together with a commitment to protect our NHS from private influence so that it continues to be here for future generations.”
Johnbosco Nwogbo, lead campaigner at We Own It, said: “Only the NHS has A&Es, trains doctors, and treats everyone however complex their case may be. Building up the NHS to treat everyone who needs care is the most efficient and effective reform a Labour government could introduce.
“The first step is to take back NHS outsourcing contracts when they expire. Labour will get a chance to do right by the NHS, and the public is looking to them to protect the NHS. We know this is what the public wants, with our latest polling showing almost 8 in 10 people saying they want a fully public NHS.”
