Minister backs social enterprise model in healthcare market

Social enterprises—businesses for which the bulk of profits are reinvested in the community—will be one of the keys to transforming health and social care in the next decade, claims the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt.

Ms Hewitt was speaking at the launch of Healthy Business, a publication from the Social Enterprise Coalition, which describes nine social enterprises already operating successfully in health care. They include an out of hours GP service, a nurse run general practice, and a community led primary care centre.

The government has put increasing weight behind encouraging new providers into the health market. Last year's Our Health, …