The BBC once again doing their best to protect their Labour friends (part 2)

In amongst all of the BBC's almost hysterical coverage of the NHS's 'privatisation' there seems to be one factor missing, PFI. I haven't heard or seen a mention. The left-of-centre New Statesman manages to report that:

'To save the NHS, Labour must face the ugly truth of PFI debts

 

Labour is right to focus on rescuing the NHS from the harm done by this government, but must face the truth that it was the party that introduced private finance into the health service in the first place. 

 

...

 

...if Miliband is serious about rescuing the NHS, there is an ugly truth to face. The NHS is riddled with extortionate debt from decades of misguided PFI deals. NHS hospitals owe £80bn in PFI loan unitary charges – in other words, the ongoing costs of maintaining PFI hospitals and paying back the loans. Next year alone, trusts will make some £2bn in repayments.'

For more information on the scale of PFI under the last Labour government you would do well to visit NHS For Sale. Here's an interesting graphic...

I await the BBC reporting this part of the NHS story, but not with any hope.

The BBC prefer to lead with 'The NHS would be "in dire straits" without migrant workers, one of the UK's senior economists has claimed.' You can read the article here but I'm sure you could write it yourself.