Outsourcing of children’s health contract to Virgin Care halted by judge

Full story in The Independent, 21 February 2018

A High Court judge has temporarily blocked a council’s attempt to outsource a £100m contract for providing children’s health services to Virgin Care, because of the “considerable cost and disruption” it would cause the NHS and patients.

The Independent reported last year that Lancashire County Council had selected the private health provider, part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire, to provide mental and physical health services for patients up to the age of 19.

The deal was criticised by local MPs as “galloping privatisation” when it was announced.