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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/07/virgin-isnt-looking-to-take-a-penny-out-of-the-nhs
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| Virgin isn’t looking to take a penny out of the NHS | Virgin isn’t looking to take a penny out of the NHS |
| (6 months later) | |
| Your article (Virgin awarded almost £2bn of NHS contracts in past five years, 6 August) failed to paint an accurate picture of the overall Virgin Group. | Your article (Virgin awarded almost £2bn of NHS contracts in past five years, 6 August) failed to paint an accurate picture of the overall Virgin Group. |
| Virgin Trains and Virgin Care account for less than 1% of Virgin Group’s total value, and they do not make up the bulk of Virgin’s UK business either in terms of sales or profitability. Over the past 50 years, Richard Branson has created multiple billion-dollar companies, from scratch, in sectors ranging from aviation to mobile telephony, none of which are connected to government-procured contracts. In many of these Virgin has taken on established monopolies to create successful businesses across the globe. | Virgin Trains and Virgin Care account for less than 1% of Virgin Group’s total value, and they do not make up the bulk of Virgin’s UK business either in terms of sales or profitability. Over the past 50 years, Richard Branson has created multiple billion-dollar companies, from scratch, in sectors ranging from aviation to mobile telephony, none of which are connected to government-procured contracts. In many of these Virgin has taken on established monopolies to create successful businesses across the globe. |
| Virgin’s interest in healthcare was not driven by a desire to “take advantage” of changes to the NHS, as you claim, but to deliver change. Virgin first became involved in Virgin Care when the then prime minister, Gordon Brown, asked Richard to use his business experience to see if he could help the NHS and save it money by innovating in the way care is delivered. The Virgin Group has since invested more than £30m in Virgin Care and this investment in people and technology has supported doctors and nurses in their jobs, significantly reduced waiting lists and made a real difference to patients and their families across the UK. | Virgin’s interest in healthcare was not driven by a desire to “take advantage” of changes to the NHS, as you claim, but to deliver change. Virgin first became involved in Virgin Care when the then prime minister, Gordon Brown, asked Richard to use his business experience to see if he could help the NHS and save it money by innovating in the way care is delivered. The Virgin Group has since invested more than £30m in Virgin Care and this investment in people and technology has supported doctors and nurses in their jobs, significantly reduced waiting lists and made a real difference to patients and their families across the UK. |
| Richard has pledged that if and when he could take a dividend from Virgin Care (over and above his interest-free investment) he will put 100% of that money back into the NHS, with frontline employees deciding how best to spend it. Richard has not and does not intend to ever take a penny out of the NHS. This has been clear in previous statements he has made and we would be grateful if the Guardian would make this fact clear in future. Nick FoxVirgin Group | Richard has pledged that if and when he could take a dividend from Virgin Care (over and above his interest-free investment) he will put 100% of that money back into the NHS, with frontline employees deciding how best to spend it. Richard has not and does not intend to ever take a penny out of the NHS. This has been clear in previous statements he has made and we would be grateful if the Guardian would make this fact clear in future. Nick FoxVirgin Group |
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