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Landmark deal for private firm to run social care services
“Interesting” ...
Richard Branson’s Virgin Care will run core adult social work services in Bath and North East Somerset after a £700m contract to reshape community health and social care services was approved last night.
The Conservative-controlled council voted 35-22 in favour of the deal. Earlier in the day the local NHS clinical commissioning group’s board voted unanimously in favour.
From April 2017, Virgin will run more than 200 services under the deal including three statutory services – adult social care, continuing healthcare and children’s community health. The deal marks the first time a privately-owned profit-making firm will deliver statutory adult social work functions.
No free wi-fi for hours at a time; PA announcements apologising for the lack of hot drinks and the selling out of cold water and of course no doubt the opportunity to upgrade to nothing particularly special at a ridiculous cost.
Someone explain to me why this is more likely to succeed than a private company running a prison.
How long before Branson is delivering benefits?
His ever expanding business interests are virgin on the ridiculous! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
How long before Branson is delivering benefits?
His ever expanding business interests are virgin on the ridiculous! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Its a long way from running a mail order record business specialising in imported foreign label LPs and a record shop above a shoe shop in Oxford Street (where the staff actually knew about and had an interets in the records [and bands] they sold)! Ahh happy days!
Although if Virgin were to give Concentrix, Atos, Maximus et al a run for their money on the delivery of public services???
The fact we’re even discussing the merits of one capitalist company versus another for what ultimately needs to be delivered by the state…
Major ethical questions in my mind around capacity and safeguarding assessmnets.
In general terms commissioning joint social/health care around GP hubs seems trendy and sounds atrractive, I guess someone is going to wrap around advice soon as well….. but note that my client group (homelessness) often has mega problems even getting and staying registered at a surgery.
The fact we’re even discussing the merits of one capitalist company versus another for what ultimately needs to be delivered by the state…
Is this a political or pragmatic argument?
I tend to think that the most important issues are about quality, competence and delivery over who is the employer.
Having said that, I’m afraid that the history of contract negotiation, drafting and enforcement in government outsourcing has been dire, with all the unfortunate consequences. That, though, is where I’d focus efforts and criticism rather than on a political position.
“Unlike in children’s services, there are no laws preventing councils from delegating statutory adult social work functions to profit-making providers.”
Can anyone explain logically… why?