Re-Balancing the Roles of Public and Private Health Sectors in Wales

In 1989 the UK implemented a form of political devolution to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland such that certain public policy areas, including health, became the responsibility of devolved Parliament or Assemblies and not the London based Parliament and Government. In the case of Wales, the Welsh Government is faced with a series of daunting challenges in relation to the future provision of health care but, unlike the situation in England, has rejected any significant increase in the involvement of the private sector in health care provision. The magnitude of the challenges faced in coping with the impacts of financial austerity on the Welsh health budget suggest there may be a role for the private sector to play in relation to the provision of health care in Wales. This paper explores those potential roles concerning: the supply of services to the NHS in Wales, the supply of health services to the Welsh population and the financing of Welsh health services.