Franchising NHS Management Is Over Optimistic

Medical News Today:

Franchising operational management is not a new idea but it may be an over optimistic view of private versus public sector management, says the NHS Alliance.

It could be helpful as a means of supporting failing organisations – though we have still to learn exactly what ‘failing’ means – but results need to be independently assessed to establish how effectively public good is balanced against shareholder profits.

Any private sector company taking on NHS Trust management must remain fully accountable to an NHS Board with a lay majority. And commercial confidentiality should not be used to dilute transparency where public money is at issue.

Before contracts are agreed, there is a need for robust means of establishing whether those replacing NHS management have the competencies needed to run hospitals and PCTs.