23.04.13
Price comparison site model for public services – Policy Exchange
Policy Exchange has called for a “wholesale revolution” in public services, allowing private companies and voluntary groups to compete to deliver education and health.
The think tank’s senior consultant Sean Worth, previously special advisor to the Prime Minister, has written the report, calling for a shift of control away from government, to the public.
The report suggests the Government should contract online comparison sites to produce league tables for public services, and work to end the ‘postcode lotteries’ many areas of the country suffer.
A YouGov poll commissioned alongside the report showed that 60% of people think if a school, GP surgery or NHS dentist is providing a poor service, then businesses and charities should be brought in to run them.
The report states: “Reducing spending on services, while demand for them increases because of a growing and ageing population, simply means that without reform, they will deteriorate. In essential areas like education, health and social support, this will only harm the most vulnerable in our society.”
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