| Topic: | Re:"Privatising the NHS" (not) | |
| Posted by: | Richard Greenhough | |
| Date/Time: | 12/12/14 08:53:00 |
| "..open the NHS up to privatisation.." As was mentioned on Question Time last night, no-one is suggesting "privatising" the NHS. Privatisation means selling off state assets and businesses to the private sector, as with the utility companies or BT. What is being proposed is private sector involvement in running aspects of the NHS, while the state continues to own and manage the "business". Most importantly health care will continue to be free at the point of delivery to all UK citizens. If KPMG have the expertise, knowledge and experience to manage the medical records in a more efficient and cost-effective way than the NHS can manage in-house, then everyone is a winner. Hopefully the contract will contain significant penalty clauses for under-performance and break clauses so that if they prove they are not up to the job then they can be replaced. If Stephen Dorrell can use his expertise to help make this scheme work, then that would seem to be to the taxpayer's advantage. However I agree that he should not try and do this work while remaining as an MP. |