Cornwall NHS paperwork privatised and sent to India

Certain administrative work done as part of the health service in Cornwall is being privatised and sent to India.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust is to transfer some patient registration work to NHS Shared Business Services.

Shared Business Services is a partnership between the government and a private firm called Steria.

About 25 NHS staff will be affected by the move. The trust said it could save up to £10m over six years.

Saved money would be spent on front-line services, it added.

Patients themselves will still deal with the NHS locally.

Former health minister and Exeter Labour MP Ben Bradshaw criticised the move, saying that similar privatisations in other parts of the country had failed to improve services.