More than £9bn worth of UK National Health Service (NHS) contracts for patient-related services is set to be secured by various private health firms, research has revealed.

According to the analysis of an independent campaign group NHS Support Federation, private firms such as Bupa, Virgin Care and Care UK secured 131 contracts valued at £2.6bn to offer NHS services since April 2013, reports The Guardian.

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The services tendered, valued at £18.3bn, include more than £1bn worth of contracts for elective surgery, diagnostics (£1.2bn), community care services (£1.9bn), musculoskeletal care (£785m), ambulance and patient transport services (£583m) and pharmacy (£558m).

British Medical Association chair Dr Mark Porter was quoted by the news publication saying: "These figures show the extent of privatisation in the NHS following the pushing through of the Health and Social Care Act.

"Private firms such as Bupa, Virgin Care and Care UK secured 131 contracts valued at £2.6bn to offer NHS services since April 2013."

"An act that the government denied loud and long would lead to privatisation, has done exactly that."

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Circle Healthcare received major NHS contracts from the 195 contracts awarded so far, and is the only private firm that operates NHS hospital, Hinchingbrooke, in Cambridgeshire. It received two contracts worth £285.9m.

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Diaverum UK received £150m worth of contracts to provide kidney dialysis services for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

Bupa, along with social enterprise CSH, received a contract worth £235m to provide musculoskeletal services in West Sussex.

Pathology First and Facilities First received contracts worth £225.8m to offer pathology services to Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Virgin Care received contracts worth £131m for paediatric services on behalf of NHS Northern Eastern and Western Devon clinical commissioning group.

However, the UK Department of Health dismissed the facts calling the figures ‘misleading’.

A Department of Health spokeswoman was quoted as saying: "Use of the private sector amounts to only six pence in every pound the NHS spends, an increase of just one penny since May 2010."