NHS in Stoke outbids private firm on £80million scanning contract, yet loses

[adz-a32]

It is sad to see the NHS on its knees. 1) A cheaper bid was denied and 2) A private firm would take public money in profit, which imho is a waste of finite public money.

Anything to please the Tory donors though.

Like New labour are any better.

Until we all have a genuine alternative (and no, Farage/Griffin and his ilk are not) then we're all f*cked.

The right wing media (eg Murdoch, the Mail, Express) portray him in a negative way.

[waynekerr55]

It is sad to see the NHS on its knees. 1) A cheaper bid was denied and 2) A private firm would take public money in profit, which imho is a waste of finite public money.

Anything to please the Tory donors though.

Like New labour are any better.

Until we all have a genuine alternative (and no, Farage/Griffin and his ilk are not) then we're all f*cked.

I agree with Wayne. Only person left is Ed Miliband, who is in a tough position as he'd have to adapt policies to suit both Socialists and Blairites.

He doesn't help himself by having captain clueless (Ed Balls) as his 2nd in command.

[TruBlue]

It is sad to see the NHS on its knees. 1) A cheaper bid was denied and 2) A private firm would take public money in profit, which imho is a waste of finite public money.

Anything to please the Tory donors though.

Like New labour are any better.

Until we all have a genuine alternative (and no, Farage/Griffin and his ilk are not) then we're all f*cked.

I agree with Wayne. Only person left is Ed Miliband, who is in a tough position as he'd have to adapt policies to suit both Socialists and Blairites.

I'm sure he's a decent bloke, but I think when running the country we could do with someone who remembers about the fiscal deficit.

Isnt it more important the contract is offered to the best supplier for the good of the NHS, no matter where it comes from?

The day we need to start worrying is the day the uninsured people are turned away when sick.

This and I fear it will be coming soon in some form or another. Some on this board will rejoice.

This is scaremongering. Most if not all agree that healthcare provision should always be based on need and be free at point of use irrespective of ability to pay.

So the doctors and nurses themselves think people should pay for consultations?

Isnt it more important the contract is offered to the best supplier for the good of the NHS, no matter where it comes from?

The day we need to start worrying is the day the uninsured people are turned away when sick.

This and I fear it will be coming soon in some form or another. Some on this board will rejoice.

This is scaremongering. Most if not all agree that healthcare provision should always be based on need and be free at point of use irrespective of ability to pay.

Do politicians run for office on tickets of child abuse? You're argument is non existent, fancy trying to even compare the two.

No doubt , the net result will be that ordinary people in Stoke will have a poorer health service and some dedicated and overworked staff will be further burdened.

Why do you think it will be a poorer service? Surely as with most contracts there will be some pretty strict SLA's?

I used to work in a heavily SLA orientated environment - we dealt with a number of other SLA driven agencies

Wasn't that the endemic problem from the blair/brown years which messed up public services in the first place?

[Observer]

Trust me Colonel, I know what I'm talking about here. It's the law.

Well the law is an ass then.

As most of us already know the law is malleable. A nod, a wink, the disclosing of a secret password and a dodgy handshake will sway things in the right direction. And as proved by May, IDS etc, if they can't win a case that way, they have the ultimate sanction of hastily changing the Statuary Laws. The clue is in the name .. The Crown blah blah blah.

[lisvaneblue]

Lisvane blue what makes you think hospitals are not vat registered of course they are

I'm very sure that NHS hospitals are not VAT registered for the reasons already outlined. I think the one geographical exception is Northern Ireland where hospital and Social services budgets are better entwined organisationally than in the rest of the UK and

Any organisation that make taxable supplies greater than 81k per annum (or in any 30 day period) need to register for VAT

[Jimmy Jimmy]

As long as you have an effective number of companies bidding for the work - then the NHS will get the best price / service ratio available. With penalty clauses built in when service is not delivered.

[Wrong Side of the Severn]

Any organisation that make taxable supplies greater than 81k per annum (or in any 30 day period) need to register for VAT

I seem to recall that central government departments and local authorities are not VAT registered.

Any organisation that make taxable supplies greater than 81k per annum (or in any 30 day period) need to register for VAT

I seem to recall that central government departments and local authorities are not VAT registered.

Generally yes because they aren't providing taxable supplies. However where they do provide taxable supplies (pharmacy, catering, commercial rent) then VAT is charged

[Eric Cartman]

Isnt it more important the contract is offered to the best supplier for the good of the NHS, no matter where it comes from?

The day we need to start worrying is the day the uninsured people are turned away when sick.

This and I fear it will be coming soon in some form or another. Some on this board will rejoice.

This is scaremongering. Most if not all agree that healthcare provision should always be based on need and be free at point of use irrespective of ability to pay.

Everyone agrees that people shouldn't have sex with children. It seems that people in positions of power often say one thing in public and do another in private when there is some benefit to themselves...

I'm not comparing the two you tit. I am saying, what politicians say in public is a very different matter to what they are trying to achieve in private...

[lisvaneblue]

Any organisation that make taxable supplies greater than 81k per annum (or in any 30 day period) need to register for VAT

Any 'private' organisation needs to do that, but not NHS hospitals. They don't make taxable supplies, they are end users by enlarge. Where they have commercial production units these comply as separate business entities. But hospital per se do not have to be VAT registered.

[lisvaneblue]

Any organisation that make taxable supplies greater than 81k per annum (or in any 30 day period) need to register for VAT

I seem to recall that central government departments and local authorities are not VAT registered.

Generally yes because they aren't providing taxable supplies. However where they do provide taxable supplies (pharmacy, catering, commercial rent) then VAT is charged

Community pharmacies are of course VAT registered. However they are private contractors, unlike hospital pharmacies that do not have to be registered.