ABSTRACT
Pressure on the NHS and ideological shifts in the last quarter of the twentieth century raised the profile of both the voluntary and commercial sectors of health care. The health care pluralist argument is that the source of health care is relatively unimportant, so long as the care is provided. Health care has always been provided by a variety of agents, including those in the informal, voluntary and commercial sectors, as well as the National Health Service. The sectors involved in the delivery of health care can be defined by two criteria, namely, ownership and principles governing eligibility. In the mixed economy of health, however, the commercial sector has recognized that, if it is to be successful in the long term, it has to be sensitive to social goals and take some account of health needs as well as demands.
