University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust has launched a tender for a joint venture partner to expand its private patient services in a contract worth up to £150m.
The Trust said it is seeking a ‘high-calibre private healthcare operator’ with a strong track record of patient-centred care to co-develop and grow its private provision. The move forms part of UHD’s wider transformation programme, which aims to create the UK’s largest planned care hospital.
‘We are not seeking capital investment or construction partners,’ said the Trust. ‘Instead, we are focused on finding a strategic service partner – a proven operator in private healthcare with a strong track record of delivering high-quality, patient-centred care.’
UHD, which is midway through a £550m estates and service transformation, said Dorset remains under-served for private care despite rising demand. A successful private partnership would, it said, offer patients greater choice while supporting its £900m NHS budget.
The contract is expected to run for an initial ten years from March 2026, with an option to extend for a further five years to 2041. The agreement allows for additional purchases during the contract term.
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