AS Health Secretary William Waldegrave unveiled a second wave of 99 opted-out Trusts, new evidence emerged of the chaos of the new NHS internal market.
Many health authorities are simply not paying their bills.
The giant Bloomsbury & Islington DHA, covering three London teaching hospitals, and facing cuts of £9.4 million this financial year, could be plunged deeper into crisis.
At the end of July the authority had fallen 610 mil E7.8 million of this because other health authorities had delayed paying their bills. A massive €4 million was four monk overtel Another 61.2 million may arready nave ocen lost ou 'customer' health authorities have paid B&l less than the invoiced amount.
Half way through the finan bureaucratic nightmare confronts hundreds of directly managed hospitals and opted-out Trusts.
Contract firms
Since 1984 health authorities have been compelled to put ancillary services cleaning. catering and laundry out to competitive tender. Others have privatised portering and other services. In each case standaras or myxi and patient care have plummeted as cheapskate private firms have moved in, seeking