Lessons from the other side: What can we learn from the private sector?

Abstract

Business has reacted in an impressive manner to increasing globalisation, short-term stockmarket pressure for performance, emerging industries and new technologies. While the private sector has become increasingly competitive, the public sector has not adopted this commercial rigour. Funding pressures on health services will continue, as will increasing consumer and staff demands and the blurring of public and private health care provision. As a result, there are lessons and techniques the public and private health sectors should learn from each other.I have drawn the issues that follow from my experience in the steel and food industries.