Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential savings of privatising NHS Professionals.

In November 2016, the Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (the Company). The Department concluded that the Company requires significant investment to enable it to expand and also greater private sector expertise in areas such as business - development, so it can deliver improved services to even more National Health Service trusts and reduce their reliance on expensive agency staff – the bill for which is currently £3 billion annually, which diverts resources that could be better used for substantive staffing and improved patient care.

We are currently in commercial negotiations and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage on potential savings or other matters connected to the sale process should that go ahead. A further announcement will be made in due course.