Recently a rumor has been swirling around the UK that secretary of health Andrew Lansley wants to get rid of the cap on the proportion of income that NHS institutions can earn. The cap currently sits at 49% which is seen to be a hindrance to the private sector in certain circumstances.
In the wake of such talk a debate has arisen as to the effectiveness and efficiency of the private sector. For most conservatives it is thought that the motivation of potential profits is enough to ensure that a private sector company does it’s job with passion and efficiency, however this has recently been shown to be a flawed outlook.
With the Olympics coming to London there has been a great rush of activity to ready the city for the festivities. One of the most recent developments, however, has not been a good one. Security at the international event, instead of being seen to by public sector workers, was contracted to a private sector company, G4S.
As a result of the recent failure of G4S to fulfill their obligations in regards to security, it is becoming quickly obvious to a great many people that the private sectors advantages are not with the safety of the people or the efficiency with which services are carried out, but with the large profit margin and reduced risk that comes with being a private government contractor.
When it comes to the private sector versus the public sector, the differences are quite clear as even now the public is being brought in to fix what G4S has so eloquently botched. Public services do not have the same luxury that private corporations do when it comes to struggling or even complete failure; they can opt out and start all over again but the public must endure with whatever hardships come.
