Eltham MP, Clive Efford has condemned the huge increase in costs demanded by a private company commissioned to provide MSK services in Greenwich.

The controversial decision to hand a £73m contract for musculoskeletal services to Circle Holdings PLC over a rival bid from a consortium of local providers was taken in 2016.

The decision was made without any impact assessment being conducted and without the required numbers present at the meeting where the decision was taken. Clive has led the campaign for this deal to be scrapped, holding debates in Parliament and speaking at council meetings, Clive has called the privatisation an ‘expensive and wasteful process’.

It has now been announced that Circle will be charging approximately £10 million more for the service.  Circle have cited an increase in tariff costs as the reason for the 14% rise – despite the fact that the local care trust has stated the tariff rise is only 0.6%.

Speaking in Parliament, Clive slammed those private providers which are ‘naming their price once they have won the contract’ and demanded that the Department for Health investigate the issue.

You can back Clive’s campaign to protect our local NHS services by signing his petition here