CAMPAIGNERS have raised concerns after the government seemingly dropped plans to declare the NHS the “preferred provider” of commissioned healthcare services.

The pledge was part of Labour’s National Policy Forum document adopted by the party’s last conference before the general election. 

It signalled a shift away from commissioning private firms, with the party vowing to “end the reliance on outsourcing and cronyism that saw our public services weakened in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.”