Challenges of private provision in the NHS

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1193

BMJ 2005;331:1193-1195 (19 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1193

Education and debate

The NHS revolution: health care in the market place

Challenges of private provision in the NHS

Nicholas Timmins, public policy editor¹

¹ Financial Times, London SE1 9HL Nick.Timmins@FT.com

Independent treatment centres are set to have a big effect onboth the NHS and private sector. Properly managed they couldbenefit everyone

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Whether you believe the NHS is being privatised depends on yourview of the founding principles of the NHS. Do your beliefshinge on the fact the service should be tax funded and largelyfree at the point of use? If that is all that the NHS amountsto—one of the world's biggest and most comprehensive healthinsurance systems—then the NHS could, at least in theory,be entirely privately provided. It would, however, remain recognisablythe NHS because patients would not pay. That, broadly, is whatTony Blair, Alan Milburn, John Reid, and now Patricia Hewitt,the current health secretary, have all come to believe. Thealternative view is that the founding principles include theproposition that the NHS should also be largely publicly provided.¹

Waiting times for cataract surgery have fallen sharply since treatment centres were launched

Credit: PASCAL GOETGHELUCK/SPL

Public or private?

Those who hold the view that the NHS should . . . [Full text of this article]

Can private provision work?

Future for NHS services

Effect of treatment centres

Response of private sector

A better future?

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

missing the point: benjamin dean
bmj.com, 19 Nov 2005 [Full text]
Independent treatment centres, success or failure?: Dr Payam Fazel
bmj.com, 21 Nov 2005 [Full text]
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Timmin's references: James D Woodcock
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