I have recently attended a public consultation that was organised by my NHS Primary Care Trust on the changes in local healthcare provisions.  Following a very good summary of the “planned changes”, what became apparent was that this “consultation” took place after the new service contracts have already been awarded.  It was also clear that we have no way of deciding whether any of these contracts should go to profit-generating commercial companies instead of GP teams; they have already gone to them.
 
I am a business woman and I like commercial, but cannot see sense in bringing in profit-making commercial companies to deliver public sector services and spend millions, from the same tax-money pool, on boosting social enterprise in the private sector.  Shouldn’t we try to promote social enterprise into both?