NHS leader calls for partnership with private sector to build new hospitals

Exclusive: NHS Providers head says joining with private health firms and developers would help care backlog

• Could Labour use private-public projects to fix England's hospitals?

The NHS must be given the green light to partner with private health firms and property developers to build new hospitals to slash the care backlog, a health service boss has said.

The last Labour government was widely criticised over controversial private finance initiative (PFI) deals to erect scores of new NHS facilities that led to vast profits for major corporations.