Increasing privatisation of services
The Government policy of ‘Any Qualified Provider’ creates a health and social care marketplace in which private companies are eligible to compete alongside NHS providers. In an NHS push for care to move from a secondary to a primary care setting – where costs are lower – private services are moving towards long-term rehabilitation pathways, where an increase in patient admittance has been observed. The potential growth in independent sector care ensures choice and competition by enabling services to adapt quickly to the changing needs of the population and to changes in policy and trends in service-delivery models.
Proposed workforce impact
- Reduced supply of psychiatrists working in the NHS as people seek roles in private organisations or social enterprises.
- Increased supply of psychiatrists in private organisations.
- Rise in self-funding privatisation
- Increased private health schemes
Sources or references
- DH, (2012), The Health Service in England, Health and Social Care Act.
- DH, (2011), Any qualified provider, Modernisation of health and care.
Additional research questions
- To what degree will private sector companies interact with NHS-funded organisations?
- What responsibilities will the private sector have for training and educating the workforce?
- How will the quality of training places be monitored across the different settings of placements?
Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.
