The Department of Health has suppressed evidence that axed programmes to buy £750m of private sector care a year for NHS patients had earlier been showing "very good value for money".

Independent review teams found that plans for a second round of private sector treatment centres worth £550m a year "should be well-matched to the [NHS's] requirement". The solutions - intended to generate competition to NHS hospitals and provide extra capacity for patients - were "suitably tailored to regional needs".