Aspects of health and social care were first outsourced to the private sector with the intention of creating a market of socially motivated providers who would compete to provide the best quality care. Benjamin Goodair explores how privatisation has panned out in practice, and who benefits the most. He looks at both the provider and the system level. It becomes clear that while the privatisation of health and social care services may have been introduced with good intentions to create competition and inspire innovation, the research suggests financial incentives have put private providers at an advantage. The solution could follow either of the following possible paths: either reduce the profit motive and eliminate it from public services or make the financial incentives more aligned with what we think public services require: namely, high quality, efficient services that are equitable and equally accessible. His work underscores that the future of health and social care hinges not just on who delivers services, but on the values that guide them. 

Read the full article in the LSE Research for the World pages.