Privatisation in health care: theoretical considerations, current trends and future options.

Privatisation is once again back on the Australian political agenda. More significantly, privatisation has become an issue in the health care industry, following a proposal by the New South Wales government to privatise a public hospital in Port Macquarie. The main aims of this article are to discuss: the international move towards privatisation, the benefits of privatisation, the problems associated with privatisation in health care, and the potential health care services which could be privatised.