NHS England has signed a three-month deal with 10 private healthcare groups, including Spire, Circle Health Group and Nuffield Health, to provide extra support as it deals with rising staff absences and the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
The deal — which will start on Monday and end on March 31 — is aimed at relieving pressure on hospitals in England by encouraging them to refer patients in need of NHS elective surgery or urgent cancer work to private facilities. NHS England did not disclose the value of the agreement.
Spire Healthcare said that it would grant NHS England “access to 100 per cent of its facilities and teams on a local, regional or national basis in the event of a surge of Covid-19 patients”. However, the companies will continue to treat private patients and retain the right to choose which cases to take on.