Abstract
The role of the independent sector in the provision of clinical services on behalf of the NHS in England is often misunderstood and is perceived by some stakeholders as offering the NHS little more than marginal additional capacity. Indeed, some NHS organisations have been accused of 'obstructive, disruptive and protectionist behaviours' towards non-traditional 'NHS family' service providers. This paper outlines the development of the independent sector's role in the provision of clinical healthcare services over recent years. The first part of the paper considers the historical context, including the impact of both the changing role of the state over the past 50 years and the change of government at the end of the last century. Consideration is then given as to the position today, and the impact of current policy drivers for the use of the independent sector in the provision of NHS clinical services. The final part of the paper uses the specialty of orthopaedics, for the purposes of illustration, in order to explore the contribution of the independent sector to the delivery of the last remaining major access target, 18 weeks referral to treatment, and the development of a range of responsive services in the community.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Management & Marketing in Healthcare
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
