Fifteen NHS projects win right to become social enterprises

A second wave of NHS organisations has been given the go-ahead to become social enterprises under the government’s Right to Request scheme.

The 15 projects to win approval cover a range of services including access to psychological therapies, improving end of life care and a number of children’s services.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: “Instead of reaping rewards for shareholders, social enterprises plough resources back into the community. NHS staff have the local know-how on how resources can best be used and I want to put them in the driving seat – and Right to Request combines NHS values with business principles in an effective way.”

The minister added that he wanted to empower “millions” of public sector workers to become their own boss. “There is still an opportunity for frontline PCT workers to be part of the next wave of the scheme in the autumn," Burstow said.

Peter Holbrook, chief executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition, said the Right to Request had been a crucial initiative to support the development of social enterprises in health and social care “where there is a demand and a need for something different”.

He added that the scheme “encourages new ways of delivering a better, more personalised service for the public that gives greater value for money”.

The first wave of Right to Request projects varied in value from £300,000 to £55m, and employed between five and 1,300 staff. They included a specialist health-visiting programme in Derby and a one-stop-shop for homeless people in Leicester offering medical and outreach services and access to night shelters.