It was supposed to make things better.
But instead, cancer patients have missed oncology appointments. People with kidney failure have missed vital dialysis treatments -- sometimes two out of the three they need per week to keep them alive.
Other patients have had to have taxis called to take them home.
And most mortifying, ambulances have shown up to take patients to appointments after they had already died.
These are the results of a four year £63.5 million contract awarded to private ambulance supplier Coperforma. Even ambulance crews describe it as a "shambles".
We desperately need to stop the ongoing privatisation of our NHS, and we're starting with ambulances -- but we need your help.
Could you donate to help us save our NHS from privatisation?
These late and missed ambulance pick-ups aren't like a late pizza delivery -- this is literally life-and-death for patients.
You and I are being shortchanged on our NHS. The logic behind selling off our health services to private companies is madness -- these private firms are putting profits first. And with less money actually being spent overall, what's left for us?
We know that privatisation of the NHS is a recipe for disaster.
And unfortunately for the people of Sussex, they are dealing with the fallout of this multi-million pound experiment with our lives. A union representative estimates up to 3,000 people just in Sussex could be missing vital appointments. And we're all next.
That's why we need to stop this mad, idealogical sell-off of our ambulance services.
Chip in now to stop the idealogical sell-off of our NHS.