Privatisation of the NHS?

Side Note: Recently, I have been asked to write a mini essay which argues against the statement written below. I understand that this is a rather unconventional post, nevertheless I hope you enjoy reading my response. 

"Privatisation of the NHS would allow for the much needed investment to health care throughout the UK."

Privatisation of the NHS does not have to be the only way in which investments are made to health care in the UK. The NHS can attract investments from the public and the government by rebuilding its reputation and improving its services. However, for this to happen, the NHS will need further investments in the form of hospital and care home beds, as well as improved community services to ensure that patients recover from surgery sooner and don’t end up back in hospital to use up beds that would otherwise be used by patients waiting for elective surgery. In light of the current political situation, with a lack of government spending on healthcare, it seems unlikely that the NHS will seek out these investments but if the NHS is funded sufficiently, the NHS may be able to reduce financial pressures, meet future demand for services and use future investments to make services previously managed by private companies more accessible to the public- which may make the NHS more investable than private companies.

Though privatisation can attract investments to healthcare, privatisation may also result in the health system being run more like a business and less like a public service. For example, many private companies do not provide services for the elderly, the less wealthy and people with mental health problems and instead ‘cherry pick’ the more profitable cases, i.e. patients who are likely to recover sooner. On the contrary, privatisation may result in greater efficiency and better care of patients because many companies are in a more financially-stable position than the NHS. However, private companies do not offer universal healthcare- which goes against the notion that healthcare is a basic civil right. Within the pillar of justice, will the improved efficiency for the many outweigh the fact that some people may not be able to access treatments at all? Therefore, it remains questionable whether privatisation will attract enough investment.

By Kumaran Rajaratnam. 

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