Lansley slips one under.

Regular readers of our blog will know that we have featured the PFI initiative a few times in the past. This is part of the Tripartite policy on healthcare that NHS bad, private good.

This indeed is the crux of the Health and Social Care Bill which is not about health or social care only the denial of both unless provided for by the private sector which is perceived to be more efficient except that cost is not negotiable only quality. And you only need to think breast implants to see how cost is fixed and quality service is dumped in favour of profit only, care not, by some private providers. So look what Andrew is trying to slip one under the radar, always a good game at an English public school on a naïve new boy or members of the public.

A £ 1.5 billion PFI rescue fund. Who could have thought that the super efficient private sector modeled NHS foundation trust or a world class commissioning PCT which funds them would need a rescue fund? After all if you have PIP breast implants the private or any willing providers are queuing up to help you after they have relieved your wallets dearly and you have paid tax too for an NHS that won’t deliver?

Now this £ 1.5 billion is for seven trusts only and there are 103 PFIs. Here are some statistics.

£ 1.5 billion shared by 7 averages £ 214 million per trust. Sounds a lot but this is to be spread over 25 years.

Each PFI agreement will have been negotiated by a few senior NHS managers overseen possibly by a Chief Executive and maybe some at the Department of Health some of whom might be able to read or count and may just have been in the bottom third of a Northernshire comprehensive school when younger.

NHS management attracts the rejects of the UK comprehensive school system while the private sector does slightly better. So it is not surprising that some parts of the NHS are needing a bailout. Looks like some NHS managers are doing a banker and getting a stealth bailout for their and the politicians’ cock ups.

Given that there is a need for £ 20 billion savings in the NHS is there any reason why £ 1.5 billion is being paid to bail out NHS management incompetence? At an average of £ 214 million for each NHS PFI contract failure that is a hell of a reward for a few individuals’ failings.

Remind us Dr Andrew private good NHS bad? Oh yes and don’t forget to blame Labour but who invented PFI? See second paragraph of history here together with some interesting quotes from some of those involved over the years.

Praise be to the Party for ensuring that only in NHS management and banking is incompetence rewarded with government bailouts to the tune of billions and no doubt with promotion as well.