The NHS has always used private contractors. GPs, Dentists, Pharmacists and opticians are almost all privately owned. There have always been private providers of various services in mental health.
It can make a difference if private companies deliver services:
- instability: they may move out when profits drop
- cost: they may have to pay shareholders
- transactional processes: charging, billing, all that
- ethos: can be very different
- unaccountability
The NHS would fall apart without private companies’ input. They provide all the equipment, build the hospitals, make the drugs. In the IT world, the whole of primary care IT is run privately – all your data is held on private companies’ machines. When the state tried to deliver a coherent IT vision, it failed, partly because the private sector had already delivered on a lot of it and fought to maintain its share. There is ample evidence that alternative providers can challenge state delivery and improve ideas, vision, relationships with users of the services.
Privatisation, strictly speaking, is the transfer to the private sector of services which were previously provided by the public sector. or as the World Health Organization has defined it privatisation in healthcare is “a process in which non-governmental actors become increasingly involved in the financing and/or provision of healthcare services”. Clive Peedell argues, very persuasively that “Further privatisation is inevitable under the proposed NHS reforms“.
Marketisation is the introduction of market principles and commercial competition into a sector previous run on other principles, and need not be associated with privatisation (though it usually is).
Equally a centralised planned economy need not be run through public sector organisations, though it usually is.
- CENTENE: THE REAL AGENDA – WHAT TO EXPECT June 2, 2021
- SIMON STEVENS – THE LONG VIEW May 14, 2021
- BEWARE OF A TROJAN HORSE PRIVATISATION OF GENERAL PRACTICE April 16, 2021
- Government response to Public Consultation on ICSs March 9, 2021
- Why it matters if General Practice is run as a big business? March 5, 2021
- Why the UK failed the pandemic test August 3, 2020
- Pay is ‘elephant in the room’, says Unite, as new NHS England People Plan launched July 30, 2020
- SHA COVID-19 Blog 20 July 27, 2020
- Privatisation Protest at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester July 15, 2020
- Grenfell anniversary: Fire Brigades Union “will not accept another year of inaction” June 15, 2020
- Plans by NHS bosses to create a super lab in north west ‘under the radar’ during coronavirus crisis attacked by Unite May 7, 2020
- News from the Frontline 06.05.20 May 6, 2020
- HOW COME WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT NHS SUBCOS? November 4, 2019
- We need to talk about ‘Integrated Care’ in the NHS June 15, 2019
- US-style healthcare is already with us June 8, 2019
- NHS should not be ‘sacrificial lamb’ in any US/UK free trade deal, says Unite June 5, 2019
- Caring for an ageing population – some Welsh perspectives January 27, 2019
- Phone app that could destroy our GP system December 13, 2018
- A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR PRIVATISING THE NHS – AND EVERYTHING ELSE NOT YET PRIVATISED November 2, 2018
- National Health Service (Co-Funding and Co-Payment) Bill 2017-19 August 19, 2018
- Legislation, Privatisation and the NHS June 13, 2018
- Winning the fight for our NHS June 11, 2018
- Privatisation from the top-down: the corporate sector and decision-making June 8, 2018
- Privatisation from the ground up: property sales and rich NHS Trusts June 7, 2018
- The NHS doesn’t require reform – it needs a revolution May 4, 2018
- How to renationalise the NHS for real April 27, 2018
- Speech by Alex Scott-Samuel April 8, 2018
- Deep concerns about the ACO contract remain unaddressed April 5, 2018
- Inaccurate and Misleading March 20, 2018
- Winter Crisis? It’s a political crisis! March 16, 2018
- We Own It? March 3, 2018
- Are cash-strapped hospitals walking into a trap that could cost the NHS its family silver? February 27, 2018
- Adult social care: is privatisation irreversible? February 15, 2018
- Time to move on from the ‘love in’ with outsourcing and PFI – here’s how January 25, 2018
- Back to the future? Prospects for Labour policy on a renationalised NHS January 22, 2018
- What Carillion’s collapse tells us about public sector outsourcing January 21, 2018
- The Alzira model January 2, 2018
- What A Mess December 18, 2017
- Privatised services are failing thousands of vulnerable addicts and alcoholics December 17, 2017
- Toxic Privatisation Agenda Is Destroying The Soul Of Our NHS December 11, 2017
- The Slow Death of the NHS November 9, 2017
- The New Stupid Idea October 4, 2017
- Fake News and the NHS September 19, 2017
- Taking on the Legal Loan Sharks of the Public Sector August 31, 2017
- NHS Bill July 6, 2017
- The creeping privatisation of healthcare July 4, 2017
- The NHS has become simply a logo for a partially privatised system June 4, 2017
- Are there plans to privatise the NHS? May 29, 2017
- Let’s pledge to re-nationalise the NHS and prevent the cynical Tory plan to sell off Labour’s greatest achievement May 9, 2017
- Patient Transport Services and Damaging Privatisation February 27, 2017
- You get what you pay for January 24, 2017
- The Question of Structure September 17, 2016
- Tory Plans for Hospital Closures and Further NHS Privatisation September 4, 2016
- The unsuccessful privatisation of social care April 5, 2016
- Caroline Lucas proposing the NHS Bill today March 11, 2016
- National Health Service Bill March 3, 2016
- Tax avoidance and the NHS February 1, 2016
- Beware of the Reinstatement Bill January 20, 2016
- Time to End the Stafford Saga December 28, 2015
- Is that it for the NHS? December 4, 2015
- NHS Reinstatement Bill November 5, 2015
- Primary care could open door to insurance-based NHS October 27, 2015
- Outsourcing of NHS services a growing threat September 23, 2015
- Winning the Best Community Care for Lewisham May 19, 2015
- My experiences of my local NHS May 13, 2015
- Cancer Not For Profit March 18, 2015
- Dealing with market failure March 16, 2015
- the NHS report that Labour tried to block.. March 11, 2015
- Is the private sector always bad? January 30, 2015
- Hinchingbrooke, George Eliot and Liars January 9, 2015
- Nick Clegg’s claims about Labour’s NHS record December 15, 2014
- NHS Privatisation – A Ring Of Yellow Metal December 8, 2014
- The Clive Efford Bill November 23, 2014
- Avoiding privatisation in the NHS – a possible way out July 26, 2013
- THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE – CAPTIVE WORKERS July 25, 2013
- Cameron’s Great Nhs Carve-Up March 15, 2013
- European manifesto opposing the commercialization of the health system October 31, 2012
- Myths about PFI markets and privatisation September 25, 2012
- Europäisches Manifest gegen die Kommerzialisierung des Gesundheitswesens August 21, 2012
- Labour Health Policy Consultation August 2, 2012
- Hinchingbrooke test case for privatisation August 2, 2012
- Keep Our NHS Public October 7, 2014
- Circle: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors September 9, 2014
- Private provision of NHS services September 7, 2014
- Privatisation and Care homes August 22, 2014
- Doctor And Nurse Ostrich August 19, 2014
- TTIP July 11, 2014
- What do the public think about the NHS? July 9, 2014
- Madness in Staffordshire July 7, 2014
- What Future for Voluntary Services? July 2, 2014
- Privatisation in the NHS June 21, 2014
- Health policy reform: global health versus private profit May 8, 2014
- SHA policy on the NHS and social services we need February 23, 2014
- The NHS and the private sector February 9, 2014
- Public services: Quality and Accountability January 30, 2014
- The future of the NHS January 9, 2014
- Private treatment and the NHS November 10, 2013
- Defending the National Health Service September 6, 2013
- Insist on being treated by NHS staff? August 9, 2013
- The Proposed sale of Plasma Resources UK – Just another privatisation? April 7, 2013
- Wither the Socialist Health Association May 17, 2013
- Private Finance Initiative – the future March 28, 2013
- Being Paranoid might just be good risk management March 21, 2013
- Private Medical Treatment – numbers November 24, 2012
- Whither the NHS – a critique June 21, 2013
- Privatising the NHS July 22, 2013
- The So-What issue March 20, 2013
- 1997 Labour Party Policy March 28, 2013
- (3Ps) Publicly Owned Publicly Provided Publicly Accountable May 27, 2013
- NEW THREAT TO THE NHS – 5 WAYS YOU CAN HELP February 23, 2013
- Cost of the Market to the NHS January 16, 2013
- A Mixed Economy in the NHS May 13, 2013
- The Myth of Privatisation and Choice in Social Care April 25, 2013
- The real story behind the NHS changes: The US/EU Free Trade Agreement February 9, 2013
- A Modern Agenda for Prosperity and Social Reform Gordon Brown Feb 2003
- Adam Smith Institute
- Allyson Pollock
- Better Public Services Project
- Blair’s case for radical change 2001
- ‘Can we afford to leave the nation’s health to private enterprise? 1931
- Choice – Milburn v Hattersley August 2002
- Choice & competition Julian Le Grand 2009
- Choice, responsiveness and equity – Department of Health 2003
- Circle’s business model
- Circle take over management of Hinchinbrooke Hospital 2010
- Circle in Bath
- Civitas
- Commissioning – Health Committee 2010
- Community health centers compare well with private practices, researcher finds 2012
- Comparative Performance of Private and Public Healthcare Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review 2012
- Concordat with the Private and Voluntary Health Care Provider Sector Dept of Health October 2000 Benefits and Disadvantages of the Concordat
- Customer care won’t be enough Health Matters 2001
- Daniel Hannan MEP
- Doctors for reform
- The End of the NHS – Allyson Pollock Feb 2002 – Punch
- Evolution, revolution or confusion? Competition and privatisation in the NHS Health Foundation 2015
- The effect of healthcare delivery privatisation on avoidable mortality: longitudinal cross-regional results from Italy, 1993–2003
- Even Nye Bevan’s NHS saw a role for the private sector Pat Hewitt 2005
- From Market Chaos To Common Sense 1993
- The Future of Health and Public Service Regulation A. Lansley 2005
- Healthcare lessons from Australia: what can Michael Howard learn from John Howard? BMJ 2005
- Hinchingbrooke test case for privatisation
- Independent Sector Diagnosis and Treatment Centres
- Is the new NHS simply a vehicle to make money for some? 2012
- Keep Our NHS Public
- King’s Fund (many resources)
- The last act of the NHS Allyson Pollock and Fiona Campbell April 2001
- Lansley and Privatisation 2011
- Learning from the market – not copying it John Reid 2003
- Local authority experience of compulsory competitive tendering 1995
- Manipulating waiting lists 2012
- Markets and Competition in the NHS
- Markets In Health A Framework For Discussion
- Markets and Health debate March 2010
- Markets in health care: the theory behind the policy Civitas 2009
- A very messy business – regulation of private healthcare 2003
- Milburn seeks hospital role model in Spain 2001
- Ministers wash their hands of the NHS Guardian October 2005
- Modernising the NHS: a promising start, but fundamental reform is needed. Enthoven 2000 (BMJ paywall)
- Money Changers dismissed from the Temple (in Wales and Scotland) 2007
- Myths about PFI markets and privatisation 2012
- The NHS braces itself for privatisation April 2011
- NHS Market Futures Kings Fund 2005
- NHS reform ‘needs outside help’ Nicholas Timmins 2009 (FT Paywall)
- NHS to hire German surgeons – Guardian Feb 2002
- NHS foundation trusts to link up with leading companies May 2006
- No Mandate for Privatisation – Dr Peter Draper May 2005
- Nurses for reform
- One way capitalism can make health care worse and more expensive 2011
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Outsourcing cleaning services increases MRSA incidence: Evidence from 126 english acute trusts 2016
- Ownership, Incentives and Hospitals Spain 2010
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Patient safety risks in private hospitals August 2014
- Payments for care at private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals: a systematic review and meta-analysis – CMAJ 2004
- The plot against the NHS Colin Leys, Stewart Player 2011
- Politicians need to rethink the role of the private sector in the NHS Jan 2010
- Positively Public – UNISON’s campaign to keep our public services public
- Price competition in the NHS
- Private Healthcare Prof Joan Higgins Jan 2001
- Private Healthcare Network Map
- Privatisation of the NHS is accelerating Allyson Pollock 2005
- Public are passionate about equity but would accept private treatment centres Ipsos MORI survey 2006
- Questioning the claims from Kaiser – BJGP 2004
- Redefining the National Health Service – Alan Milburn’s speech to the New Health Network January 2002
- Reflections on the duties of government and the privatisation of services
- Reform of Public Services – Tony Blair’s speech 16/7/01
- Refusing Treatment – the NHS and Market Based Reform Civitas 2010
- The Role of the Private Sector in the NHS – report of the Health Select Committee May 2002 SHA
- Evidence to the Health Select Committee on the role of the private sector, Autumn 2001
- Submission To Commons Health Committee Inquiry Into The Role Of The Private Sector In The NHS – Ursula Pearce October 2001
- Scotland opposed to private competition in NHS June 2007
- Senscot – Social Enterprise in Scotland
- SHA statement on private sector involvement September 2001
- Should Brown set the NHS Free?
- Should the NHS follow the American way? BMJ (paywall) 2005
- Strong public services – Gordon Brown March 2002
- Supply 2 Health – the place to find NHS tendering opportunities
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing mortality rates of private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals Canada 2002
- Take care with privatisation 2005
- What is the Real Cost of More Patient Choice? Kings Fund 2003
- WHAT WORKS: PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLICLY PROVIDED By Colin Leys
- Why are our private hospitals so shy of lucrative markets? 2011
- Will NHS austerity mean feast or famine for the private sector? 2011
- World Private HealthCare Congress
Websites of organisations involved (actually or potentially) in providing health services in the UK, or commenting on them:
Pharmaceutical companies are not listed here.
- Abbott UK
- Allied Healthcare – Nursing, and Primary care
- Balfour Beatty
- Benenden Healthcare Society
- BMI Healthcare
- Bupa
- Care UK
- Circle
- Exeter Friendly Society – private medical and income protection insurance.
- Fresenius Kabi – clinical nutrition and infusion therapy
- German Medicine Net -Arrange Treatment in German Hospitals
- Guardian PFI News
- Horder Healthcare Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal services
- Hospital Corporation of America
- Health Shield – health cash plans and health and wellbeing benefits
- Interserve
- Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser compared with the NHS BMJ Jan 2002
- King Edward VII Hospital Sister Agnes
- Laing and Buisson The UK’s leading provider of information and market intelligence on the independent health and community care sectors.
- LSE Health and Social Care
- McKesson UK
- Private Healthcare UK
- Ramsay Healthcare
- Serco Group
- Sodexo Healthcare
- St Andrew’s Healthcare charity specialising in mental health, learning disability, autism and brain injury
- St Anthony’s Hospital South East England’s leading independent hospital for complex major procedures as well as routine surgery
- United Healthcare UK
- Virgin Care
It is highly misleading to label GPs as ‘privately owned’. In the current context this argument is largely used by the right in a flawed attempt to soothe our anxieties about NHS privatisation. As for suggesting that dentistry and IT are indications of why NHS privatisation is not too much to worry about, either, what can I say?! Anyone who’s struggled to get an NHS dentist…. or who noticed the last government throw away £20 billion (ie, the entire ‘Nicholson cuts’) to IT contractors, might wonder if they’ve entered topsy turvy land, finding this article on the SHA website!
What a ridiculous blog. All it serves to illustrate is enough privatisation is enough. One of our local trust chairs tried to reduce the PFI debt by paying it off with an interest free loan from the LA pension fund so that the money could be used to provide a better #nhs. The government put up every obstacle possible. Privatisation will only ever benefit people who are in to make a profit