NHS Privatisation: Pros and Cons

This assignment delves into the topic of NHS privatization, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of such a move. It includes an introduction to the concept, followed by body paragraphs that discuss the arguments for and against privatization, supported by evidence from various sources. The essay concludes with a summary of the key points and a reflection on the importance of considering multiple perspectives in this debate.

A18
English for Academic Purposes 2 (EAPB3017)
Name:
Student Number:
Tutor name:
This is your English for Academic Purposes 2 e-portfolio which you must submit on Thursday 26th April 2018 by
2pm via the Student Portal. This should be completed throughout the course and you must make sure you
save your work regularly (e.g. on your computer, on a USB stick, on email or on the Cloud drive). Please refer
to suggested word counts for each task included within this portfolio.
Assessed Learning Outcomes:
1. Produce elements of a cohesive and coherent researched essay
2. Listen to an academic lecture whilst taking coherent notes
3. Read, compare and summarise a number of written academic texts.
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Wee
k Table of Contents Pag
e
Learning
Outcome
Completed
?
(
)
Portfolio Tasks
(These tasks should be developed throughout the term but completed by
Thursday 26th April 2018 by 2pm)
1 Where are you now? 2 LO 1, 2 & 3 ☐
1 Personal Development Plan
[suggested word count: 100 - 150] 3 LO 1, 2 & 3 ☐
2 – 9 Organising your ideas
[suggested word count: varies per task] 4 LO 1 & 3 ☐
6 Making notes with confidence
(200 words) 6 LO 2 ☐
3 – 8 Developing your arguments
[suggested word count: varies per task] 8 LO 1, 2 & 3 ☐
6 – 9 Writing your argumentative essay
(900 words) 10 LO 1 & 3 ☐
10 Getting a First! 11 LO 1 & 3 ☐
Total word limit:
Final task: Argumentative essay (900 words) (+/- 10%)
Track your progress by ticking off each task as you complete it, in the final column
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PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 1: Where are you now?
Below is a list of the skills you will need when working on extended pieces of writing during your university
career. Using the list from EAP 1, put a cross (X) in the same boxes for each skill in the first column, and tick
() the appropriate box for each skill in the second column, according to how well you think you can do this
now.
You should refer to the checklist throughout the course and decide whether you have made any progress with
these skills.
Skill This is new for
me
I need to
develop this
skill
I can improve
this skill
I can do this
well
Looking for information
Identify which book / journals/ websites
to use ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Select relevant parts of a text ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Using sources
Acknowledge sources of information ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write a reference list correctly ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Avoid plagiarism ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Planning/Writing
Brainstorm ideas ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Plan written work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Link ideas effectively ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Paraphrase & summarise ideas ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write an introduction ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write a conclusion ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Personal Study
Work independently ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Manage my time ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Oral Presentation
Brainstorm ideas with peers ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Discuss written work in a tutorial ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
IT
Access the internet ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Use search engines ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Create word documents ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Use PowerPoint ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
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PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 1: Personal Development Plan (PDP): Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Timescale [SMART]
You are required to develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP), which includes goals for the development of your academic skills after the completion of the
module. This should include skills we cover on this module. To help you, write down the strengths and weaknesses you listed in EAP 1 in the box below, which can
also be from your feedback. Use complete sentences.
Strengths
I am capable of composing a wide variety of academic compositions. The compositions tend to depict the qualities of a good quality
composition.
I tend to display quick learning skills and generally do not find the need to attend various sessions in order to form an understanding of the
various topics.
I have the ability to complete the given assignments within the assigned deadlines
I am able to depict the qualities of a great team player and work collaboratively with the other members of the team.
Weaknesses
I am weak at the skills that are needed to remain organised.
I might display the obsession with some task under certain conditions.
I tend to portray the greatest levels of perfection in the assignment solutions that I compose which at times lead to the arguments among the
members of the team.
I might display a dominating attitude at times and might want to do the given assignments
Now think about what you would like to improve. Be specific when describing your goals and how you will achieve and measure them. (100 – 150 words)
Target Goal Action Success Criteria Completed by?
e.g. To have clear paragraphs To produce an outline before writing The reader can identify the topic/ideas of
those paragraphs
February 2018
1 To be attentive towards the views put
forth by the others.
To prepare a list of the strengths of the
other members.
The better comprehension of the various
ideas and the opinions that are shared by
the others.
February 2018
2 To demonstrate the ability to organise
the various presentations and the
reports on the given topic.
To prepare and maintain the necessary
checklists for the tasks that have been
undertaken as well as those that are
completed.
The honing of the organizational skills that is
displayed within the composition of the
concerned document.
February 2018
3 To be able to handle the criticism that
is directed towards the composition of
the report.
To have a clear notion of the limitations of
my own capabilities and thus not crave for
the perfection in the concerned matter.
The realisation of the fact that the
perfection is gained through practice and
one does not have to crave for the same.
February 2018
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PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 3: Organising your ideas: Are my sources reliable?
Look at the table below. Using the sources you have found (not from GSM Learn or the reading list), answer
the questions below to determine if they are reliable. Make notes.
Source 1 Source 2
Who wrote/said it? The Week Powell and Miller
Are they qualified to speak on this
topic?
Yes Yes
Do they have a personal interest in
that issue?
No No
What type of source is it? News Magazine Journal Article
Has it been verified in any way? Can it
be proved?
Yes Yes
Is there evidence to support this
claim?
Yes Yes
Was the source created to persuade,
sell, entertain, inform or for another
purpose?
The source was created to put
up a debate on the advantages
and the disadvantages of
privatisation process in the
NHS
The article attempts an
exploration of the effects of the
privatisation of the NHS.
Is the content relevant to your
research?
Yes Yes
When was it published/last updated? September 4, 2017 April 15, 2014
Does this impact its relevance or
objectivity?
No No
Give the full references of both your sources here in Harvard Style:
To format the text, highlight the word(s) or line of text you want to change and select the required formatting
option (colour change, bold, italics etc.).
Theweek.co.uk 2018. Pros and cons of privatising the NHS. [online] The Week UK. Available at:
http://www.theweek.co.uk/nhs/63360/pros-and-cons-of-privatising-the-nhs [Accessed 7 Mar. 2018].
Powell, M. and Miller, R., 2014. Framing Privatisation in the English National Health Service. Journal of Social
Policy, 43(3), pp.575-594.
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5

PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 4-9: Organising your ideas: Noting down the main points
In the space below, create an outline for your essay by making notes about any information you find from class
or reading list sources and from the two sources you found. Use bullet points and not full sentences. Include
in-text citations where necessary. You should add to this throughout the course. (150 – 200 words)
Essay Question:
Should the NHS be privatised?
Arguments in Favour (Yes) Arguments against (No)
Economic
 The privatisation of the NHS
might lead to the increment of
the funds that are needed for the
proper functioning of the NHS.
 Improvements in the equipments
that are used in the various
healthcare operations.
 The privatisation of the NHS
might lead to the reduction of
the economic burdens that are
levied on the governmental
bodies.
 The privatisation also helps in
ensuring the fact that the burden
of the taxpayer is lowered
 The introduction of the health
care system based on the
insurances helps to ensure the
care that is meted out to the
concerned patients.
 The ownership of the healthcare
centres ensures the fact that the
people have more authority over
the offered services.
 The privatization of the NHS
might lead to the increment in the
healthcare costs that are incurred
by the concerned patients.
 This would lead to the condition
wherein only the well-to-do
families might avail the healthcare
facilities.
 The NHS is one of those
healthcare services that charge the
minimal amounts against the
health care services that are
offered within the industrialized
nations.
 The privatisation of the NHS
might lead to the conditions
wherein the healthcare services
might not be affordable by a
greater section of the country.
 The insurance of the healthcare
services tends to deal with the
various extra expenditures on the
part of the concerned customers
 There is an increment in the
burden of the budget and the
employment.
Social
 There might be improvement in
the treatment meted out in cases
of the chronic diseases and the
communication with the patients
due to the privatisation of the
NHS.
 There might be an increment in
the number of the healthcare
centres that might be accessed
by the common people.
 The privatisation might help in
the reduction of the interference
 The privatisation of the NHS
conforms to the notion that the
healthcare services should not be
treated as a commodity.
 The privatisation of the NHS
might lead to discarding the idea
of the equality of the common
people irrespective of the various
economic classes wherein the y
might belong.
 The privatisation might lead to the
neglection of the ethical issues and
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that might be faced at the
political levels.
 The privatisation might help in
the longer sustenance of NHS
due to the fact the regular flow
of the finances.
 The younger generation might
also feel motivated to contribute
to the health care department of
the country with the privatisation
of the system.
lay more stress on the economic
consequences that follow.
 The privatisation might lead to the
shift of the interest from the
patient to the profits that are
gained.
PORTFOLIO TASK
Developing your arguments: Paraphrasing/Summarising
Choose one aspect (e.g. Economic or Social) and summarise and/or paraphrase the main points you noted in
the outline on page 5. Use complete sentences and include in-text citations where necessary. (150 - 200
words).
Arguments in favour (Yes):
The privatisation of the National Health Service or the NHS might lead to the stability in the economic fields.
The government of the country might face the huge amount of relieve on the aspects related to the
economics of the country in cases wherein the health care is funded by the privately-run organisation. This
helps the government to focus the financial attention on the various other major factors of the country like
those pertaining to the defences, the educational issues, the immigration issues and other such issues.
There might be observed various competencies of the privatisation process in the different instances from
the various other countries.
The exposition of the NHS to the privatisation might lead to the increment in the rate of the employment in
the healthcare fields due to the fact that the younger generation is observed to show more interest in the
privately-owned healthcare organisations that serve the people. The experts have further argued that the
privatisation of the NHS might have led to the increase in the competition among the various healthcare
organisations which in turn might help in the increase in the quality of the service that is provided to the
concerned clients.
Arguments against (No):
The NHS is known to be a public organisation that is governed by the government of the concerned
country. The handing over of the reins of NHS to the private organisations might lead to the increase in the
costs that are incurred by the various costs involved in the healthcare. The patients belonging to the
economically backward section of the society would find it difficult to avail the healthcare facilities due to
the high costs. The commonwealth report published in the year 2014 declares that the NHS is one of the
cheapest healthcare organisations that has been functioning in the country. This defies the privatisation of
the organisation and deems it to be wrong. The most recent evidences from the greatest insurance-based
policies of the US state that the privatisation of the healthcare systems might not ensure the strengthening
of the trust of the people in the matters pertaining to the health care.
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PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 5: Developing your arguments: Combining sources
Using the summaries you wrote in the previous task, combine them below to create the first body paragraph
of your essay. Use the guide below to help you and highlight each part with the same colour. (250 – 300
words)
Body paragraph 1
Say why this is a key issue (e.g. Economic/Social)
(this is your topic sentence)
What is the counter-argument of this issue?
(this is the opinion you do not agree with)
What is the main argument if this issue?
(this is your opinion)
Why is your argument stronger than the counter-argument?
What evidence/examples do you have to support this?
What can you conclude from this? What are the implications?
You should use at least 2 sources in this paragraph.
The analysis of the advantages and the disadvantages of the NHS might require the PESTEL
analysis of the concerned organisation. The economic as well as the social factors play crucial roles
in the analysis of the feasibility of the proposed privatisation of the National Health Services.
The various experts opine that the government of the country might face the huge amount of
relieve on the aspects related to the economics of the country in cases wherein the health care is
funded by the privately-run organisation. This helps the government to focus the financial attention
on the various other major factors of the country like those pertaining to the defences, the
educational issues, the immigration issues and other such issues.
The exposition of the NHS to the privatisation might lead to the increment in the rate of the
employment in the healthcare fields due to the fact that the younger generation is observed to show
more interest in the privately-owned healthcare organisations that serve the people. The experts have
further argued that the privatisation of the NHS might have led to the increase in the competition
among the various healthcare organisations which in turn might help in the increase in the quality of
8

the service that is provided to the concerned clients.
The NHS is known to be a public organisation that is governed by the government of the
concerned country. The handing over of the reins of NHS to the private organisations might lead to
the increase in the costs that are incurred by the various costs involved in the healthcare (Davies
2013). The patients belonging to the economically backward section of the society would find it
difficult to avail the healthcare facilities due to the high costs. The commonwealth report published
in the year 2014 declares that the NHS is one of the cheapest healthcare organisations that has been
functioning in the country (Commonwealthfund.org 2018). This defies the privatisation of the
organisation and deems it to be wrong. The most recent evidences from the greatest insurance-based
policies of the US state that the privatisation of the healthcare systems might not ensure the
strengthening of the trust of the people in the matters pertaining to the health care.
The NHS is well -known for providing the residents of UK with the free services in the field
of health care. Thus, it might be said that the privatisation of the service might lead to the loss of the
only cheap medium of the health care services. Thus, the non-privatisation of the concerned health
care service must be taken ensured by the concerned authority in order to help the concerned
residents of the country.
PORTFOLIO TASK
Making notes with confidence
This is an in-class activity. Please upload a photo of your notes here.
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10

Write a summary about what you have just listened to. (No more than 100 words)
Write a response to the opinions given. (No more than 100 words).
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PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 7-9: Writing your argumentative essay
Using the same process you did for the first body paragraph, complete your essay below.
(900 words: +/- 10%)
The NHS should be privatised. Discuss
The privatisation of the National Health Services (NHS), UK is one of the major topics for
the debate among all the residents of the country irrespective of their economic and social status in
the society. There are experts who argue in favour of the privatisation while there are also the
experts who choose to argue against the same. The NHS an organisation founded in the year 1948
that provides the residents of the country with the health care services at a relatively low cost
(Nhs.uk 2018). There are residents of the country who opine that the NHS must be privatised in
order to demonstrate the acquiring of the various credibility and competency skills (Theweek.co.uk
2018). However, a certain section of the society feels that the privatisation of the NHS might not be a
good move on the part of government as that would rob the citizens of their rights of leading a
healthy life without having to deal with the various economic aspects that are related to the same.
The analysis of the advantages and the disadvantages of the NHS might require the PESTEL
analysis of the concerned organisation. The economic as well as the social factors play crucial roles
in the analysis of the feasibility of the proposed privatisation of the National Health Services.
The various experts opine that the government of the country might face the huge amount of
relieve on the aspects related to the economics of the country in cases wherein the health care is
funded by the privately-run organisation. This helps the government to focus the financial attention
on the various other major factors of the country like those pertaining to the defences, the
educational issues, the immigration issues and other such issues.
The exposition of the NHS to the privatisation might lead to the increment in the rate of the
employment in the healthcare fields due to the fact that the younger generation is observed to show
more interest in the privately-owned healthcare organisations that serve the people. The experts have
further argued that the privatisation of the NHS might have led to the increase in the competition
12

among the various healthcare organisations which in turn might help in the increase in the quality of
the service that is provided to the concerned clients.
The NHS is known to be a public organisation that is governed by the government of the
concerned country. The handing over of the reins of NHS to the private organisations might lead to
the increase in the costs that are incurred by the various costs involved in the healthcare (Davies
2013). The patients belonging to the economically backward section of the society would find it
difficult to avail the healthcare facilities due to the high costs. The commonwealth report published
in the year 2014 declares that the NHS is one of the cheapest healthcare organisations that has been
functioning in the country (Commonwealthfund.org 2018). This defies the privatisation of the
organisation and deems it to be wrong. The most recent evidences from the greatest insurance-based
policies of the US state that the privatisation of the healthcare systems might not ensure the
strengthening of the trust of the people in the matters pertaining to the health care.
The NHS is well -known for providing the residents of UK with the free services in the field
of health care. Thus, it might be said that the privatisation of the service might lead to the loss of the
only cheap medium of the health care services. Thus, the non-privatisation of the concerned health
care service must be taken ensured by the concerned authority in order to help the concerned
residents of the country.
The social factors involved in the privatisation of the NHS might also be taken into account
since the matters pertaining to the health play an important role in the lives of the people. The
benefits and the hazards of the privatisation of the NHS might be analysed well through the analysis
of the social aspects of the decision.
The advocates of the privatisation tend to put forth the opinion that the privatisation of the
health care might lead to the increase in the powers that are enjoyed by the various privately-owned
business firms (Vinegar 2018). This in turn might help in the improvement of the communication
between the patients and the staff at the health care centres. Krachler and Greer (2015) argue that the
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privatisation of the NHS might help in the reduction of the interferences of the political levels and
thus ensure that the services delivered are free of any kind of corruption and are transparent in their
nature. According to Powell, M. and Miller (2014), the increment of the pressure on the various
health care centres has led to the privatisation of the concerned centres.
There are experts who oppose the idea by putting forth the argument that the privatisation
would only lead to the increment in the costs of the services and the lowering of the various services
that are to be provided to the concerned patients. The ranking of UK in the field of providing
services to the patients might serve as a key issue in denial of the privatisation of the NHS
(Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2018). There, however, have been very little evidence on the fact that the
privatisation might lead to the betterment of the services that are provided to the concerned patients.
In lieu of the above discussion it might be stated that the privatisation of the NHS might not
be as successful. The above essay puts forth the arguments of both the supporters and the opposers
of the theory through the economic and the social analysis. The economic analysis of the issue states
that the privatisation would reduce the health care sector to a profit-making organisation. Thus, from
the above discussion it might be safely drawn that the NHS must be allowed to perform the duties in
the way that it had been doing ever since its inception. The state is advised to focus on the
infrastructure of the service.
Reference List
Commonwealthfund.org 2018. [online] Commonwealthfund.org. Available at:
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/fund-report/2014/jun/
1755_davis_mirror_mirror_2014.pdf [Accessed 7 Mar. 2018].
Davies, A.C., 2013. This time, it's for real: the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The Modern Law
Review, 76(3), pp.564-588.
Krachler, N. and Greer, I., 2015. When does marketisation lead to privatisation? Profit-making in
English health services after the 2012 Health and Social Care Act. Social Science & Medicine, 124,
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