Patient safety in private hospitals: The known and unknown risks (August 2014)

Summary

This report by the Center for Health and the Public Interest, brings together what is known about patient safety in private hospitals. It offers insights into the number of patient safety incidents in private hospitals, analyses the potential risks inherent in the way that these services operate, and makes recommendations to improve transparency in the private sector.

Content

The report also confirms that the NHS serves as a ‘safety net’ for the private sector with around 6,000 people a year transferred to NHS hospitals following treatment in private hospitals.

• Read the press release and coverage on BBC News, the Telegraph and Health Service Journal
• Read a blog on patient safety from Peter Walsh
• Sources of further information on patient safety private hospitals
• Read a blog from Colin Leys exploring the issues in the report.