Asked whether he is prepared to go back to private finance initiative (PFI) schemes – in which private firms built hospitals and repayments were made over the long term – he said: “Well, the Chancellor has delivered the biggest capital allocation for the NHS since Labour was last in power, but I don’t pretend that there aren’t still enormous challenges because of the size of the capital shortfall….
Asked about more competition between NHS hospitals, and with private hospitals, Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “Well, we’re definitely committed to using the independent sector spare capacity to bring down NHS waiting lists faster.
Last week, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the Government should consider the use of private capital to fix the NHS’s crumbling buildings and infrastructure.
Wes Streeting said the Government wants to see the NHS being as “responsive as any other organisation that we use” and he wants “more patient choice, more patient power, more patient control”.
“There are still massive challenges in the NHS, a hell of a lot further to go on waiting lists, people are still struggling to get GP appointments, and GPs are struggling, let me tell you, with the case load they’ve got.
