Privatizing NHS services is associated with a decline in the quality of healthcare, increasing deaths from treatable causes

 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/957268

 

 News Release 29-Jun-2022
THE LANCET PUBLIC HEALTH: Privatizing NHS services is associated with a decline in the quality of healthcare, increasing deaths from treatable causes, study suggests
Peer-Reviewed Publication
The Lancet

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Outsourcing of NHS services in England to for-profit companies increased steadily between 2013 and 2020, rising to over 6% of total expenditure for regional health boards – groups of general practitioners, nurses and other health professionals that commission services for their local area.

Increased privatisation was associated with higher rates of treatable mortality, with changes to outsourcing potentially linked to an extra 557 avoidable deaths in England during the study period.

The findings suggest caution around further outsourcing of NHS services in future, given the potential impact on quality of patient care.

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