The intention was to achieve VAT benefits, as well as pay bill savings, by recruiting new staff on less expensive non-NHS contracts.

The Value Added Tax Act 1994 provides a mechanism through which NHS trusts can qualify for refunds on contracted out services.

[14] A Care Quality Commission survey found that the Trust was among the best in England for its maternity services in December 2013.

[15] A subsequent review by the CQC noted that "People were not being protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were not always being maintained.

This gives a reading of their international normalised ratio, a measure of how quickly blood clots – which they can share with clinic staff via an automated phone call.

[18] It set up an artificial intelligence model using risk stratification digital tools to protect patients from acute kidney injury in 2021.