The fact is that the NHS in England has declined since the practices of the private sector got their foot in the door. So, for example, cleaning services were tendered out and the standard of cleanliness collapsed. Private sector managemnt was brought in leading to a dramatic ballooning of the management numbers with no improvement (and most of us would say a sharp decline) in the quality fo NHS management. The private sector were allowed to build hospitals and "lend" them to the NHS at a ridiculously expensive rate, and so on. The privatisation of dental services has been another disaster for a large proportion of the population. England has seen a significant involvement of the private sector in the NHS. Scotland has not. Yet most objective observers would say that the "traditional" social model which persists in Scotland is providing better quality care (and patient satisfaction rates are higher too). At present in Scotland every member of the population, no matter how poor or how remote, is provided with world class (and world renowned) primary care for less than £200 ($300) per head per annum. Show me any other servcie in the world that can match that level of quality for that cost. In addition, a Scottish body, SIGN, set the gold standard for evidence-based guideline development - another "socialist" development. I could go on but why bother. The NHS in my part of the world has nothing to gain from privatisation - and much to lose.
Posted by skyesteve