New development: New global health care PPP developments—a critique of the success story

Abstract

Health care public–private partnerships (PPPs), where clinical services as well as infrastructure are delivered by the private sector, are coming under the spotlight as governments seek to achieve value for money in health budgets. Existing examples have been widely reported as successful. However, this article urges caution as a closer look at the evidence shows that handing over control of service delivery to the private sector is difficult to monitor and evaluate, carries cost implications which remain largely unquantified and can create additional risk.

Keywords:

• Affordability
• Alzira model
• health care
• public–private partnerships
• risk transfer

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out with the financial support of the Spanish National R&D Plan (research project ECON2010-17463).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Basilio Acerete

Basilio Acerete is Senior lecturer in Accounting and Finance, University of Zaragoza, Spain.

Anne Stafford

Anne Stafford is Senior lecturer in Accounting and Finance, Manchester Business School, UK.

Pamela Stapleton

Pamela Stapleton is Professor in Accounting, Manchester Business School, UK.