Owen Smith to accuse Tories of ‘lining shareholders’ pockets’ in secret plot to privatise the NHS

LABOUR leadership hopeful Owen Smith will accuse the Tories of a “secret” plot to privatise the NHS later.

In a speech in Salford, he will highlight public spending on private healthcare providers saying cash should be spent on doctors and nurses not “lining the pockets of private shareholders”.

He will say public spending on private healthcare providers has doubled since the Tories took power.

The former shadow health minister said an analysis of official accounts shows spending on private sector providers for NHS services has more than doubled since 2009/10, when it was £4.1 billion.

And he will accuse Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of “covering up” the scale of spending on the private sector after 2014/15 figures were revised up from initial estimates by more than a billion.