36: Going private: what’s happening and is it a bad thing? – with Sarah Neville and Hettie O’Brien

The Health Foundation podcast

A record 7.7 million people are now waiting for elective care in England. With so many waiting for NHS care, polls show deep public concern over access to health services and many considering going private.
Meantime policymakers are exploring how the independent sector can help get waiting lists down, and private equity investors are making moves in the independent health care provider market.
So does this mean we’re slowly sliding towards a mixed model of health care in this country? And if so, is it a good thing or should we be worried?
To discuss, our Chief Executive Jennifer Dixon is joined by:

• Sarah Neville, Global Health Editor at the Financial Times.
• Hettie O'Brien, Assistant Editor at the Guardian and currently researching a book investigating the role of private equity in the contemporary economy and public services.

Show notes

• The Health Foundation (2023). Waiting for NHS hospital care: the role of the independent sector in delivering orthopaedic and ophthalmic care.
  
• The Health Foundation (2023). How the public views the NHS at 75.
  
• The Health Foundation (2022). Waiting for NHS hospital care: the role of the independent sector.
  
• BMJ (2023). Private providers see surge in demand as PM blames long NHS waiting lists on strikes.
  
• PHIN (2023). PHIN Private market update: September 2023.
  
• BMJ (2023). Evaluating trends in private equity ownership and impacts on health outcomes, costs, and quality: systematic review.
  
• NBER (2023). Owner Incentives and Performance in Healthcare: Private Equity Investment in Nursing Homes.
  
• The Guardian (2023). Private equity has its sights on the NHS – and with it our faith in public services altogether.
  
• The Financial Times (2023). Private equity groups bet on UK healthcare as NHS waiting lists grow.