In line with the findings, 760 non-public corporations profited from the UK’s nationwide healthcare system whereas providing providers resembling CT scans and hip and knee replacements.
The Centre for Well being and the Public Curiosity (CHPI) additionally claimed that £2bn of the £12bn went to corporations situated exterior of the UK, and £533m went to corporations registered in tax havens.
Branded “scandalous” by some MPs, the reporting suggests that non-public corporations are possible making excessive income from public healthcare, and taxpayer cash is perhaps siphoned into tax havens because the UK’s well being system struggles.
Personal corporations do play a key function in UK well being, supporting tens of millions of individuals via providers, and in response to the Division of Well being and Social Care, “tackling the ready listing backlog.”
Breaking down such expenditure isn’t essentially simple, and The Guardian additionally quoted a authorities spokesperson as saying there’s a zero-tolerance method to “gaming” the system.
Nevertheless, the CHPI’s director is asking on the UK authorities to cap the income that non-public corporations could make from offering NHS providers.
Listed here are some numbers concerning the NHS that you want to know.
£215 billion: NHS England spending cap
Within the monetary yr 2026 to 2027, the utmost spending cap for day-to-day operations is £215.352 billion, topic to sure guidelines.
Regardless of a major funds, many NHS providers stay strained by ongoing pressures, together with lengthy ready lists and structural challenges.
71,517 individuals: waited greater than 12 hours in A&Es in January
In line with the newest figures, the variety of individuals ready greater than half a day in A&E departments, from a call to confess, has elevated sharply in simply two months.
It’s the very best ready figures recorded since month-to-month information started in August 2010.
1,379,163: NHS workers in full-time equal roles
In line with NHS Digital information, there are 1,379,163 full-time equal workers in NHS trusts and organisations as of January 2026. That is 0.4% from the earlier yr.
The imply annual earnings per individual in NHS trusts and Medical Commissioning Teams (CCGs) in England have been £43,877 within the 12 months as much as the tip of January 2026, however these figures fluctuate considerably relying on roles and employment construction.
13.6 weeks: median wait time
In line with Referral to Remedy (RTT) figures revealed by the British Medical Affiliation, the median wait time for individuals awaiting therapy is 13.6 weeks.
In January 2019, the median wait time was 7.8 weeks.
21,000: NHS posts reportedly set to be axed over funding
In line with the European Medical Journal, round 21,000 NHS posts will probably be reduce by 2028 resulting from monetary points which might be “getting worse”.
This reportedly contains 3,600 scientific roles, emptiness freezes and function restructuring.
18.4 million: therapies delivered in 2025
In line with NHS figures, the NHS “delivered extra elective exercise in 2025 than another yr in its historical past.”
This included 18.4 million therapies and operations in 2025, up from 18 million the yr earlier than.
13.6 weeks: median wait time for individuals
