Tories’ private pals target NHS

McKinsey, a US‑based consultancy firm, has picked up NHS contracts worth £5 million in north west London. it is also providing advice on cuts and closures there.

McKinsey is a company so integral to the Tories’ NHS plans that parliamentary meetings have been held at the company’s premises.

New helpline means more at A&E

The new NHS 111 medical helpline has led to a 9 percent increase in attendance at A&Es in areas where it has been trialled.

The Tories are promoting the privatised system as a cheaper alternative to NHS direct—that doesn’t rely on trained medical staff answering the calls.

But patients who call are more likely to be told they should go to their local A&E.

An overcrowding emergency

Ramsey Lake Health Centre in Sudbury, Suffolk, is so overcrowded that authorities have called in the city’s fire prevention officer.

They want to find ways of spreading patients’ beds along corridors without breaking fire regulations.