Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Greens are calling out Labour’s decision to hand over £1.3 billion worth of community health services in B&NES, Swindon, and Wiltshire to a private company driven by profit. This move shifts public funds—intended for patient care—into the hands of shareholders, undermining the NHS’s core purpose: to provide quality healthcare for everyone, free from profit motives.
The Green Party is the only major party that fully opposes NHS privatisation. For years, the party have stood for a publicly owned and operated NHS. Labour, which often claims to be the “party of the NHS,” has recently increased its reliance on private companies. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has openly supported private sector involvement in healthcare, prioritising profit over patient care.
Green leader at B&NES, Cllr Joanna Wright, added:
“As a member of the Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel, I was surprised to learn about this decision through the press, despite our regular updates from the Integrated Care Board (ICB). At no point was the transfer of these services to a private equity company mentioned. The lack of consultation and engagement on an issue that affects the health of so many is both shortsighted and costly.”
The Greens remain accountable and focused on patient care—not profit.