NHS – 6,000 Private Cases Return

More than 6,000 private patients were sent back to the NHS last year, shock figures revealed on Sunday.

And more than one in three needed emergency treatment. The 6,067 total – the highest since 2008 – sparked fury.

Tory MP Dominic Raab said: “The private sector has a role to play. But it must be accountable when things go wrong.

“Since Tony Blair ramped up its role we’ve had thousands of cases each year of botched private cases dumped on the NHS.

“The NHS is then expected to nurse them back to health without any clear mechanism for it to be compensated.”

The Department for Health admitted that the health service often picked up the tab for treating private patients’ complications. But it said Sunday’s figures “should be taken as a demonstration of the excellent standards of care provided by the NHS.”

A spokesman added: “The NHS will treat anyone with a health need – even if that has arisen form private treatment that has gone wrong.”

“They should send the private consultant, insurance company etc etc the BILL”