Private hospitals must increase transparency in light of safety concerns

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, is today calling on the Government to ensure private hospitals operate with greater transparency in light of safety concerns raised by the CQC.

Labour wants private hospitals to publish data on patient outcomes, as already occurs with NHS hospitals, to ensure patient harm is minimised through a culture of openness.

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to the CQC’s finding that nearly a third of independent acute hospitals were rated as ‘requires improvement’, said:

“It is completely unacceptable for NHS patients in private hospitals to receive anything but the safest and highest quality of treatment.

“For too long private sector treatment has remained unaccountable and opaque. This cannot be allowed to continue and the Government must ensure private hospitals operate with greater transparency.

“We still have no accurate picture of how well cancer patients are treated in the private sector for example. The Secretary of State insists patient safety is at the heart of his agenda and must now act with a firm hand to ensure private hospitals publish data in line with NHS hospitals.”