Independent Nurse: Half of PCTs may look for firms to run in-house nursing services.

In-house nursing services could be put out for tender in nearly half of England's PCTs, an Independent Nurse survey has found.

Of the 66 PCTs who answered a Freedom of Information request, 39 per cent said they were considering putting some or all of their in-house services out to tender in the next few years. Also 18 per cent said no decision has yet been reached.

Just 42 per cent of PCTs said they had no plan to put services out to tender, but more than half of these made it clear that the situation could change. The result could be that non-NHS providers, such as private firms, bid to take over services such as district nursing, therapy services or …