£30m cost of private contracts for NHS

NICOLA Sturgeon has been urged to ‘come clean’ over her government’s spending on private health contracts after a £30million deal to ease pressure on the NHS was revealed.

SNP ministers approved a ‘cash-for-hire’ deal which will see staff parachuted in to plug shortages across the country.

It comes as NHS staff have struggled to cope during a busy winter with soaring flu rates and extreme weather.

Six companies will now share a lucrative contract to provide staff and equipment to Scottish hospitals over two years. They include a private hospital in Aberdeen and agency Medinet in Birmingham.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘We continually hear sanctimonious SNP ministers say they are not using the private sector, when the truth is that spending on services, staff and private agencies has been increasing year on year.

‘It is time for the Scottish Government to come clean and admit that the independent sector plays a valuable part in delivering treatment and care in the mixed economy in the NHS in Scotland.’

According to the Conservatives the SNP government spends around £1. million a week on private hospitals to support the NHS.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘The private sector is only used by boards to address short-term capacity issues.’

‘Spending on private agencies’