PRIVATE HOSPITALS WILL BE USED TO CUT NHS WAITING TIMES

The Times - Private hospitals will be enlisted to tackle soaring NHS waiting times in Scotland after ministers admitted that their law guaranteeing treatment within 12 weeks would not be met for years.

In an apparent reversal of a long-held SNP policy, Jeane Freeman, Scottish health secretary, said that she would “pursue use of the independent sector” to cut patient queues.

Nicola Sturgeon spoke out against investment in private healthcare when she was health secretary and said that NHS Scotland should use it only “at the margins”.

Four years ago Alex Neil, health secretary at the time, requested reports from NHS managers on how they intended to cut private sector use. Since then the number of people waiting more than three...>>>