A PRIVATE health care supplier which employs more than 150 people in York has been awarded a new contract to provide NHS services.

Following a competitive tender process Ramsay Health Care, which operates Clifton Park Hospital, in Shipton Road, has won the contract to provide orthopaedic services by NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The deal marks the continuation of the provision which has been offered at Clifton Park Hospital by Ramsay Health since 2009, with the original contract due to expire in March this year.

Ramsay Health says the new contract, which runs until March 2020, will enable the company to deliver a "more integrated patient pathway" as well as helping it to expand the range of services being offered.

Mark Page, chief executive of Ramsay UK, said winning the tender was a reflection of the hard work of the staff and consultants at the hospital.

He said: "I am proud that Ramsay has been recognised as the best provider of Orthopaedic services and wining this contract is recognition of the high level of care and excellent clinical outcomes that have been achieved over the past 5 years.

"We look forward to bringing further investment and development to the hospital and to continuing to provide an excellent service for our patients and for the local community."

Since it first was awarded the contract Ramsay UK has invested in excess of £1.2 million and will continue to invest in the facilities and equipment during the new contract.

Ramsay Health has operated Clifton Park Hospital since 2006, though it was previously operated by Capio before the firm was acquired by Australian-based Ramsay in 2007.

The York centre was know as Clifton Park Treatment Centre prior to a rebrand last year.

Clifton Park has two theatres, 24 inpatient beds and one day unit with seven beds, a large out patients department, on-site physiotherapy and treats over 15,000 patients per year with a team of 151 staff.