Mr. Paul Reid:

The rationale for us making that arrangement with the private hospital groups was to give us surge capacity at the start of and during this pandemic. Thankfully, with the good actions of the public and healthcare workers in following public health advice, we have not seen that surge. We have a new scenario for how best to use that capacity in the coming weeks. We cannot just assume that the positivity rates or the transmission rates in the community will stay as they are. As restrictions are lifted and more people gather and engage with bigger groups, there is a severe risk of two things happening. One is an increase of the peaks and troughs of the transmission of the disease and the other is a significant surge, which has been the experience of some countries. We have to plan ahead in a different way to have capacity.

Clinical care pathways are still available in private hospitals.

If a person was being treated by a private consultant in a private hospital group, the fact now that we have procured their services does not take away from that clinical pathway for the person who is receiving that treatment. If they are still a clinical priority and the service that they were attending is still required, that can still be in place. If that consultant has not signed up for the type A contract, it can be carried on by another consultant who has or it can be done on a pro bonobasis, which has happened on some occasions. The clinical pathway is still there for the person-----