NHS will be left with high risk, low profit services under private finance initiative

For-profit companies will strip NHS assets under proposed reforms.

The unfolding cautionary tale of Southern Cross illustrates the fundamental problems with the outsourcing of public services to corporate bodies (BMJ 2011;342:d3535, doi:10.1136/bmj. d3535). Its crisis originated when it was bought by private equity firms, which buy companies, like Southern Cross, that own unmortgaged land and buildings. After selling, leasing back, or borrowing against these a...

Private finance initiatives during NHS austerity.

417 ANALYSIS The NHS is facing serious revenue pressures if it is to meet the target of £15bn-20bn efficiency savings by 2013-4. 1 One important pressure for trust budgets in England is the annual private finance initiative (PFI) charge, which is ring fenced and indexed to inflation. Since 1991, all NHS trusts have had to pay a charge on NHS buildings and equipment to the Treasury, which averag...

The private finance initiative: PFI in the NHS--is there an economic case?

The private finance initiative: a case study of wastage in the NHS in Wandsworth.

Design quality and the private finance initiative