Victory for Mail on Sunday as NHS U-turns on tutor ban for private pupils
Several public bodies have reversed policies that disadvantaged privately educated children after reports by the Mail on Sunday. These included charging hospitalised private-school pupils £115 an hour for tuition while state-school pupils received it free, and initially refusing NHS treatment to a privately educated child.
In Edinburgh, the council voted to change its tuition policy after the case of Finn, a cancer patient who was unable to receive teaching from his school because of infection-control rules. Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust also apologised and treated a boy with a joint condition, although Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust has reportedly maintained its refusal to treat an eight-year-old with a speech defect. NHS England said services should be based on clinical need, not background or ability to pay.
- Edinburgh has ended discriminatory hospital tuition arrangements.
- One NHS trust apologised and reversed its treatment refusal.
- Another trust has not yet changed its policy.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Reversing the policies is justified because children should receive healthcare and education support according to clinical and educational need, not whether their parents can pay school fees. Charging or denying services to privately educated pupils risks punishing children for family choices and could breach the principle of equal treatment, particularly where illness or infection-control rules prevents access to normal schooling.
The case against
Public bodies may reasonably consider whether private schools or families can provide alternative tuition or treatment, especially when NHS and council resources are limited. Charging for education support could be defended as avoiding duplication of privately funded services, while clinical decisions should remain based on evidence and capacity rather than media pressure, provided that no child is denied necessary care.