New research published in the BMJ warns that patients are being put at risk because private hospitals are still failing to share information with the NHS when things go wrong.
The research, flagged by the BMJ, identifies a continuing gap in safety reporting between private and NHS hospitals. When incidents occur in private settings, the findings suggest that critical information is not routinely passed on — meaning the NHS may be treating patients without knowing what happened to them elsewhere.
The warning centres on what happens after a patient is harmed. If a private hospital does not share details of an adverse event (an unexpected incident that causes injury or distress), NHS clinicians picking up that patient’s care may be working in the dark. That’s not a theoretical risk — the research describes it as an ongoing patient safety problem.
The BMJ has not, in this instance, published a figure for how many patients may be affected. But the concern is structural: private and NHS hospitals operate under different reporting frameworks, and no consistent mechanism currently compels private providers to share safety information with NHS teams.
If you have concerns about care received in a private hospital, you can raise them with the Care Quality Commission, which regulates both NHS and independent providers in England. For health concerns, contact your GP or call NHS 111.
Key information
- Concerns about private hospital care: contact the Care Quality Commission
- General health concerns: call NHS 111 (available 24 hours a day)
- Medical emergencies: call 999
Source: @bmj_latest
Private hospitals not sharing safety information with NHS, research warns Quiz
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