Private sector participation in health and social care services in Scotland: assessing the risk

Abstract

The UK Government faces increased pressure to provide health and social care services more cheaply yet at a high level of quality. Increased private sector involvement in the funding and delivery of services is seen as a major part of the solution. When assessing the relative merits of approaches to private versus public sector provision, risk may be an important differentiator. This article explores some key points of comparison on risk issues and builds a framework for the assessment of risk-related issues. A twin case study approach is adopted: a care home for older people and a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) hospital. The analysis suggests that in the case of both private financing and of private delivery of health and social care services, the increased involvement of the private sector necessitates rigorous risk assessment and management.