Burnham announces charities should be “preferred provider” for NHS services

Andy Burnham, Shadow Health Secretary, has said that charities should be the “preferred provider” of NHS services.

He has said that Labour would introduce legislation, to get rid of parts of the contentious 2012 Health and Social Care Act, that would mean not-for-profit organisations would be seen as the “preferred provider” for the NHS. Contracts would be five or ten year agreements.

This is part of Labour’s plan for health and social care. Speaking at the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisation conference, Burnham said:

“The voluntary sector should have a different status in law when it comes to contracting, in terms of length of contract and the way contracts can be renewed without open tender.

“It’s a simple recognition that if you support the voluntary sector to expand, to do more, you are also helping develop the wellbeing of those communities in which those organisations are based.”