Hospitals urged to expand abroad

High-profile NHS hospitals in England are to be encouraged by the government to set up profit-making branches abroad to help fund UK services.

An agency will link world-renowned hospitals, such as Great Ormond Street, with foreign governments that want access to British-run health services. Investment would have to be drawn from hospitals' private UK work, but any profits would be ploughed back into the NHS.

A patients' group said the move was a "distraction" at a time of "upheaval", while ministers said that NHS patients will benefit.

Dominic Hughes reports.

Available to UK users only