Trends and Issues in the Private Sector

Abstract

The developments which have been described in earlier chapters throw up a whole series of issues which require further analysis. Some of these, such as the implications of a two-tier health service, have been debated extensively elsewhere while others have attracted much less attention. This chapter looks at some of the key dilemmas posed for health services and health policy in Britain if the private sector — especially the for-profit sector — continues to grow. It draws upon comparative evidence, both cross-national and historical, to highlight some of the future options and possible trends. At the heart of the debate lies the tension between the two basic models of health care distribution — one based upon market principles and the other upon the principle of equity.