NHS trusts in the South West are paying at least £151 million annually to private companies, GMB Union has revealed.

Freedom of Information requests sent to all regional trusts showed £151,040,275 spent per year on outsourced contracts - though only 11 trusts responded, suggesting the true figure may be far higher.

South Western Ambulance Service alone spent over £64 million on private ambulances in the past three years.

The region’s annual outsourcing bill has nearly doubled since 2021/22.

Mo Akbar, Ambulance Worker, told GMB Congress: “GMB members demand an end to privatisation. We must bring all outsourced services like cleaning, catering, and facilities back in-house.

“Workers and communities should have more say in how the NHS is run, ensuring decisions focus on patient care, not financial targets.”