A comparative policy analysis of healthcare PPPs: examining evidence from two Spanish regions from an international perspective

As demand for public healthcare grows and government budgets are squeezed, many countries find policies involving private sector delivery of clinical services increasingly attractive. This article takes a critical analysis approach to examine the organisational and financial arrangements of healthcare PPPs from two regions in Spain. The comparative policy analysis shows that competent learning from cross-national experience is complex because in practice it is difficult to identify specific institutional factors, evaluate operational costs, and determine whether risks have transferred. Care is needed to avoid unwarranted inferences that this policy will deliver the claimed benefits of lower costs whilst maintaining sustainable quality.