Dear Rishi Sunak,

We are writing today to express our concerns about correspondence Conservative MPs have been sending to their constituents regarding EveryDoctor’s map of NHS privatisation and outsourcing.

EveryDoctor is a campaigning organisation led by doctors, and is conducting important research into the extent and impact of NHS privatisation and outsourcing across the UK. EveryDoctor, and other campaign organisations, use the 1995 World Health Organisation definition to decide what “counts” as NHS privatisation:

“...a process in which non-government actors become increasingly involved in the financing and/or provision of health care services.”

EveryDoctor has been exploring and researching NHS privatisation for several years, and their concerns include, but are not limited to the following:

1. The “churn” of short-term contracts can disrupt long-term caring relationships between patients and staff.
2. The cost involved in tendering NHS contracts.
3. The breakdown of the systemic architecture of the NHS and erosion of relationships between services.
4. Academic evidence drawing links between NHS private outsourcing and avoidable patient deaths (which is alarming, and deserves more investigation).

EveryDoctor has recently launched research demonstrating 2495 examples of NHS privatisation and outsourcing across the UK, with an on-line tool which enables anyone to see what is happening in their constituency, and contact their MP. Over 1000 people have done so already.

We are alarmed at the responses Conservative MPs are sending to their constituents.

Gary Streeter MP, Conservative MP for South West Devon, has said:

“The NHS is not being privatised.”

Other MPs have made assertions calling into question EveryDoctor’s research. Conservative MP Greg Knight has said:

“Ministers reject the premise of Every Doctor’s campaign that any service delivered by a non-NHS provider inherently leads to worse patient outcomes and say Every Doctor’s listings of ‘outsourced’ services are questionable.”

EveryDoctor has seen similar statements from ten other Conservative MPs and so presume that a central response has been drafted by the Conservative Party’s communications team.

We would therefore appreciate a response to the following key questions:

● EveryDoctor’s research has been conducted meticulously and includes all external providers of patient-facing NHS services . What is questionable with the listings of outsourced services?
● Given the aforementioned established definition of privatisation, why is Gary Streeter MP denying the existence of NHS privatisation?
● To which ministers is Greg Knight MP referring?

Evidence is extremely important to the EveryDoctor team. This research has been carried out carefully to highlight the extent of NHS privatisation and outsourcing across the UK, in order to support an open, frank conversation about the NHS.

If you feel that a meeting would be helpful, we would be delighted to attend and explain our concerns more fully. If not, we look forward to your written response,

Yours sincerely,

Dr Julia Patterson

Chief Executive of EveryDoctor, along with the undersigned.