Culture Shock and the NHS Diaspora: Coping with Cultural Difference in Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are a prominent feature of contemporary healthcare reform associated with global trends towards the marketization of public healthcare (Collyer and White, 2011; Barlow et al., 2013). In general, PPPs involve a formal collaboration between public agencies and private businesses premised on the idea that distinct resources from each sector can be brought together to share risks, foster innovation and co-produce service (Hodge and Greve, 2007). For the private partner, benefits are accrued from access to new markets and return on investment, whilst the public partner benefits from access to private finance and business expertise. PPPs are commonly portrayed as a pragmatic solution to the economic dilemmas of public service renewal and a shift towards progressive era governance (Osborne, 2000), whilst more critical commentators argue they transfer responsibilities for public healthcare from state to market.