Privatizing NHS: An Analysis of Social and Economic Consequences

This report provides an analysis of the National Health Services (NHS) with a focus on the potential consequences of privatization, examining both economic and social aspects. It explores arguments for and against privatization, considering factors such as cost-effectiveness, quality of care, and acces...Read More

National Health Services

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Economic Concept...........................................................................................................................2
Social concept..................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

Introduction
In this report, it discussed about the national health services and emphasis on the topic “NHS
should be privatized: National Health Service is publicly funded national health care system
and one of the services. It provides the range of different types of services; services should be
comprehensive, universal in nature. Providing healthcare to all citizens rather than ability to pay.
Privatisation refers to the transferring a service from public to private ownership and control. In
this report, it focuses on the social and economic consequences of privatizing NHS. It also
evaluates the whether the NHS remove money wastage or ineffectiveness. In context of social
aspects, its stresses on the quality of care and on providing better services. . It also evaluates the
economic and social implications of privatising NHS.
Economic Concept
In context of economic view, if NHS would be privatised then it helps to remove the
ineffectiveness of cost. According to the data, it is determined that there is a high waste and there
is a loss in the hospitals. It also analyses that NHS is providing benefits to their employees and
giving holidays to their members, this idea support that NHS is inefficient and cost-effective.
The main aim of NHS is to increase the profit. Private company manage their business through
their stakeholders and earn profits. They charge more from their patients in compare to public
hospitals. If private sector does not have sufficient funds then there will be a risk for patients this
creates a negative impact on health sector. But there is positive view also, as the private NHS
provides the safe and hygiene environment for their patients. Privatising NHS makes a profit on
the priority basis this creates a less affordable for patients (National Health Services, 2018).

Social concept
In respect of social perspective, NHS provides better services to their patients with the proper
care and quality. It implies that society is receiving the choice of better patients in respect of poor
treatment. There are different sectors that provide the same services and that create a competition
between them. Patient is well aware of their rights they know how much they will pay for the
services, it depends on their discretion whether to choose public or private sector. Private
hospitals did not provide the information to their stakeholders that become difficult for other
members in organisation (Phillips & Moutinho, 2018).
PESTLE of NHS:
Pestle helps to analyse the different factors that affect the NHS. It includes the political,
Economic, social, technology, legal impact and environment.
Political factors include the matter of tax policy, tariffs etc. As the environment is changing, so
the managers or employees are not able to focus on the strategy and plans of NHS. It led to an
impact, as government affects from this issue and they are not able to cope with challenges.
Economic factors include the money as for privatising the NHS, they need more money and
require more resources to establish it and continue with services. For this, they require more
experts’ labours and managers that require finance.
Social factors include the health care services and increase the capacity of hospital. NHS must
be situated at that place that can be easy for all patients. It affects the members and staff in an
organisation that leads to increase and decreases in the number of patients.
Technology factors play a crucial role in national health services. Every sector requires the
better technology facilities so that they compete with other organisations. With the help of
technology they can make equipment’s and renew the old services and machinery that helps to
provide better services to their patients. Technology also helps in maintaining records. As patient
comes to hospital for their check-up, they maintain each and every record their age, disease,
name etc. It creates the positive impact as data can be stored and patients can be treated in
effective and efficient manner.

Environment factors, is responsible for the contribution of environment in which people can
survive. For better environment, NHS has to plant more trees and creates a safety and hygiene
environment. If NHS is public funded then, it is the duty of government to provide funds so that
they can make it healthy and happy environment. If in case, the NHS is private then they have to
arrange their own funds to maintaining the effective environment. If environment is not proper
then they will face the health problems and that causes diseases.
Legal factors, these factors frame the different rules, policies that must be adhered by the public
and private NHS. If NHS is privatised then they have their own norms and policies and they have
to comply with that (Neufeld, et. al., 2017).
Arguments
Against Favour
 If it is privatised, then they did not
provide the intensive care facilities as
compare to public NHS.
 It discriminates against patients as
they spend more in hospital.
 It develops the commercial skills as the
private sector, contracts with different
parties and makes agreements that help
the organisation.
 It provides flexibility to patients as they
updated all the information’s with the
help of technology (Hodge, 2018).
By observing the implications for privatising NHS, in regard to society there will be a better
choice of patients and private hospitals provide the different types of services and provides the
safe and clean environment for their patients. But in another way, privatising NHS will result
into poor health services and that leads to trouble for the people of society. As if private sector
does not have sufficient funds then there is lack of services and it causes trouble for the people.

Conclusion
From the above report, it has been concluded that NHS should be privatise and that helps to
increase the profit in the health sector. It analyses the economic and social factors with their
positive and negative implications. It is determined that if NHS is privatised it has their own
negative and positive view, as they provide the services but there are limited services only. The
employees in private NHS are not that much knowledgeable as compared to the public NHS.

References
 Hodge, G. (2018). Privatization: An international review of performance. Routledge.
 National Health Services, (2018). Support the stay well Pharmacy campaign. [Online]
National Health Services. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/. [Accessed on: 27
March 2018].
 Neufeld, S. A., Dunn, V. J., Jones, P. B., Croudace, T. J., & Goodyer, I. M. (2017).
Reduction in adolescent depression after contact with mental health services: a
longitudinal cohort study in the UK. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(2), 120-127.
 Phillips, P., & Moutinho, L. (2018). Contemporary Issues in Strategic Management.
Routledge.