ABSTRACT
Introduction Despite the obvious interpretation of the term 'public-private mix', it never theless requires clarification. Often an overly simple concept of private and public is used, i.e. either something is public or private. But is it 'public' if the government owns and finances a hospital that the same government has decided to let a private company operate (so-called facility management), which is the situation in at least one Swedish hospital and envisaged in England for some of the zero-star hospitals? Is it 'public' if a government-owned and operated hospital allows a private firm to invest in and operate a MRI-scanner, located within the hospital and integrated in the day-to-day running of the hospital, and further more, allows the private company to use it for private patients? The company also receives a fee-for-service whenever the hospital uses the scanner, as is the case for at least one Danish hospital. There are many examples of such mixed arrange ments, and there are also many contracting-out arrangements in areas like cleaning, catering and building maintenance.
