ABSTRACT
Many commentators remain sanguine, however, about the prospects of fundholders transferring business to the private sector. Indeed there is actually a fear, expressed publicly by some health insurers, that some fundholders might seek to realise savings on their budgets by encouraging those of their patients who have private medical insurance to make use of their policies when elective surgery is required, something which fundholders themselves have vehemently denied. While general practitioners (GPs) are being actively encouraged by the government to shop around for the best services and treatment for their National Health Service (NHS) patients, there is as yet no evidence of them doing this for patients going private. The health insurers are anxious to make use of the information available to NHS purchasers about waiting times, the range of services offered by provider units and the operating costs of many procedures in the NHS.
