NHS buys private heart hospital

London's Heart Hospital, bought for £27m by the NHS

The government has taken the unprecedented step of buying a specialist heart hospital from the private sector and returning it to the National Health Service.

The luxury private Heart Hospital just off Harley Street in London will join the University College Hospital NHS Trust.

The Department of Health says it will make a big contribution to reducing waiting times for patients in London and the south east of England.

It is top-notch heart hospital, complete with hi-tech operating theatres, at a bargain price.

'Win-win'

The government is styling the buyback of the Heart Hospital in Harley Street in London as a win-win deal. But questions are being asked about how good a deal it actually is.

This is the hospital completely refitted as a private heart unit three years ago to be part of the University College London Hospital Trust. But UCLH already has a huge new hospital under construction, money from the Private Finance Initiative.

The Trust already has financial problems, so how can taking on the Heart Hospital help? And will the NHS end up subsidising the private health care that will remain there?

Former Tory minister Sir Richard Needham is chairman of The Heart Hospital. He says the company's sold the hospital for a very good price.

Hazel Blears: 'This is almost a heaven-sent opportunity for us'

Hailing the deal on the World at One, the Health Minister Hazel Blears said: "we will be able to treat even more NHS patients".

But what about the private beds? Will they out-number NHS patients?

David Price, research fellow in health services at Northumbria University told us that buying a small specialist hospital doesn't tally with NHS planning policy.

For the Liberal Democrats, health spokesman Evan Harris agreed.

Is this the start of a government bailout of a failed private health system? And what is next for the NHS?