A group of NHS trusts in London are planning to outsource the buying of medical accessories to a private hospital group to cut costs.

The trusts are discussing a 10–year deal with BMI Healthcare, which operates 70 private hospitals in the UK, to buy medical consumables such as wound dressings.

The four trusts are Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, South London Healthcare NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. The goal is to combine the buying power of the private group with the public sector.