NHS Campaigners Rally Against Private Finance Schemes
Protesters from the We Own It campaign group gathered outside the Department of Health on 18 November 2025 to demonstrate against Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes within the NHS. The demonstration highlighted growing concerns about how these financial arrangements are affecting healthcare infrastructure projects across the country.
Didcot's Decade-Long Health Centre Wait
One particularly concerning case emerged from Didcot, where residents have been waiting more than 10 years for the promised Great Western Park health centre. According to local councillor Sarah James from Vale of White Horse district council, the project has stalled because the return on investment required by the developer exceeds what the NHS is willing to reimburse.
The local integrated care board has expressed serious concerns that at the current projected cost, they will struggle to find a GP practice willing to take on the health centre. This situation leaves the community in limbo, despite the clear need for improved healthcare facilities in the area.
Broader Implications for NHS Infrastructure
The Didcot case exemplifies the challenges facing NHS infrastructure projects under PFI schemes. These arrangements, where private companies fund and build public infrastructure then lease it back to the public sector, have faced criticism for creating long-term financial burdens on the NHS.
Lord Hutton recently wrote about NHS health centres constructed through private finance, but the reality on the ground appears more complicated. The protest outside the Department of Health signals growing public frustration with these funding models and their impact on local healthcare services.
The situation raises important questions about how future NHS infrastructure projects should be funded and whether alternative models might better serve both the health service and the communities depending on it.
