More than £250m of NHS money was paid to private companies in Sussex a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Campaign groups criticised the money being given to private companies saying it will only increase as there are more changes to the NHS.

It’s worth pointing out that these companies are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act and as such cannot be scrutinised by the public who have no way of accessing their documents or information relating to the use of the money. 

The Argus report:

One pound in every £10 spent by the NHS on healthcare in Sussex is going to private companies.

Figures obtained by The Argus under the Freedom of Information Act reveal more than £267m was paid out in one year to private firms to treat NHS patients.

Treatments include abortions, routine hip and knee replacement operations, cataract surgery, treatment for digestive problems and MRI scans.

You can read the full story here. 

Matthew Burgess
http://www.mattburgess.co
I am a journalist and author. I am a journalist at the UK edition of WIRED magazine. In 2015, my first book Freedom of Information: A Practical Guide for UK Journalists, was published. My second book Reed Hastings: Building Netflix, was published in March 2020. I created FOI Directory in 2012 and have maintained it in my spare time ever since.