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Seventy Years of Privatizing the British National Health Service?
Author(s) -
Powell Martin,
Miller Robin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
social policy and administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1467-9515
pISSN - 0144-5596
DOI - 10.1111/spol.12161
Subject(s) - typology , welfare , service (business) , national economy , health services , public economics , economics , political science , sociology , economy , economic system , market economy , demography , population , anthropology
The existence of different and conflicting definitions and different types, but few clear measures, of privatization has contributed to different interpretations of the extent of privatization in the almost 70‐year history of the British National Health Service (NHS). This article aims to examine the extent of privatization in the NHS over successive policy chronologies through the lens of the ‘three dimensional’ approach of the Mixed Economy of Welfare. We find that whilst privatization in the NHS is not new, the generally accepted view that it has increased in recent years appears valid, although precision is difficult due to the lack of a generally accepted typology or measure.