Privatization may cut costs at first, but it undermines service quality, public trust, and long-term resilience. Here’s why public services should remain public.
Thank you for this! I still find it difficult after so many years and examples of privatized theft of public resources, that people still blindly believe that privatization somehow helps public services.
My mother lived in a “privatized” long term care home in Victoria, BC., contracted by our Ministry of Health. The company was actually a real estate investment company, beholden to its shareholders. It was eventually purchased by a large Chinese insurance company. In the two years that she lived there, I saw services being cut constantly. Caregivers laid off, social workers and other essential workers eliminated. It was truly awful to witness. I spent a great deal of time writing letters, participating in meetings, sometimes weeping in frustration.
I am now nearly 80 years old, and do not have confidence in the seniors care system. Its fine of course, if you are very wealthy and can afford the $10,000.00 per month.
What 10,000 every month sleep eat in 5* hotel or something they are crazy that’s not normal anymore!!!!!! That’s a crime to ask so much money for taking care of your family and that is not happened here in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 never in a million years
Why you don’t try to come to the Netherlands 🇳🇱 we are going to help you with this problem please 🙏 try this my mom is 88 and she was before in the hospital but she can’t stay there and in one day we have found a beautiful place for her and they treat her like she was there grandma so sweet
And our healthcare is the best healthcare system that we can wish if you you look 👀 what the health care sector is in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 you will be surprised how good we have it here in my country where I am born and raised, but you can find out via google
Here the job market is stable and it is better than the job markets over there and the economy better than the USA and Canada that I know for sure you can try it and then you will find out!!! Sending my prayers to you and everyone who are struggling with everything that is going on right now and I hope you all get through this hard time greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Thanks and it will be a nightmare securing a work permit to the EU as a Canadian. Our country was too complacent and too dependent on America for far too long
I know that Trump wants the world dancing to his feet but that’s is not going to happen and he knows that we have a king and a queen and they are so good for the people and they are so modern and we have freedom of speech and we are glad we have freedom to do whatever we want and the woman are boss over there own body thank god
Privatisation of public services in the UK has proven to be a failure. Look at the difference between Scottish water which is still being controlled by the Scottish government and the water companies in England which are totally privatised! Sewage problems in England galore, underfunded maintenance as they focus on paying dividends to shareholders, not spending money on maintenance! Same for the railroad etc etc
Don't forget the NHS, I know retirees like myself who have given their private insurance up and now have only a set time of 10 minutes for doctors' visits, while preventative medicine such as checkups just don't happen. Wait times for hips, knees etc. are prohibitively long, stretching into years unless you go private, way worse than our worst times. Meanwhile, beds and ORs are used for private patients and doctors.
NHS Scotland where we live is a bit better. At least we can get a doctors appointment, checkups etc. Had however to go private for my knee replacement as my leg was 55% bent and waiting time one year. If I had waited 1 year, I would have been in a wheelchair and my leg would have remained bent for the rest of my life. 3 years ago they diagnosed beginning of cataract in my right eye. In December 2025, they diagnosed beginning of cataract in my left eye. By Xmas 2025 I experienced severe problems with my left eye, thought it were dry eyes, but when artificial tears didn't help, I called the optician for another appointment which I had 3 February... Verdict... Cataract in my left eye was on a roller coaster ride and by April I would probably no longer be allowed to drive. Only option open was to go private again as waiting time one year. Am now scheduled for private cataract surgery on 3 (left eye) and 10 (right eye) March.
What beats me is that same surgeons performing the private operations are working in normal NHS hospitals! Why does the NHS not simply pay them extra for working extra days at NHS hospitals?
This comment is somewhat trite but we must fund heath care much more than adequately. I personally am opposed to a significant (really any) increase in for profit health services. At some point, while accepting the wrath of readers out there, we must consider raising taxes spent wisely in order to fund these important programmes.
A small example of this that I know of was related to me by a friend who was the manager of a long term care facility in BC. This was one of a chain of several government run facilities which had been bought out by a private investment company, ie. a for-profit system.
Her ability to manage the functions of the facility was severely undercut by the fact that groups of workers were hired by private firms and were not answerable to her, but only to the private firm that had contracted the workers but which had nothing to do with the facility.
Therefore she had no control over the work ethics of the hirelings, could not fire them for shoddy performance or insubordination.
Thank you for this! I still find it difficult after so many years and examples of privatized theft of public resources, that people still blindly believe that privatization somehow helps public services.
I'm living stealth privatization in Ontario right now
My mother lived in a “privatized” long term care home in Victoria, BC., contracted by our Ministry of Health. The company was actually a real estate investment company, beholden to its shareholders. It was eventually purchased by a large Chinese insurance company. In the two years that she lived there, I saw services being cut constantly. Caregivers laid off, social workers and other essential workers eliminated. It was truly awful to witness. I spent a great deal of time writing letters, participating in meetings, sometimes weeping in frustration.
I am now nearly 80 years old, and do not have confidence in the seniors care system. Its fine of course, if you are very wealthy and can afford the $10,000.00 per month.
What 10,000 every month sleep eat in 5* hotel or something they are crazy that’s not normal anymore!!!!!! That’s a crime to ask so much money for taking care of your family and that is not happened here in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 never in a million years
Why you don’t try to come to the Netherlands 🇳🇱 we are going to help you with this problem please 🙏 try this my mom is 88 and she was before in the hospital but she can’t stay there and in one day we have found a beautiful place for her and they treat her like she was there grandma so sweet
Did you know I was Dutch? My mother has since passed by the way, in 2019.
Sorry to hear and I would be lucky to make it to that system. I have a feeling my parents will outlive me at the rate things are going
I will pray that will be not the case but I am from the Netherlands and we will have the opportunity to help others with this situation
And our healthcare is the best healthcare system that we can wish if you you look 👀 what the health care sector is in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 you will be surprised how good we have it here in my country where I am born and raised, but you can find out via google
I'm sure it is. However Netherlands doesn't want that much immigration
Maybe, but the job market isn't good, and I am not an EU citizen.
Canada belongs to the us
I mean the EU
Yes please lobby for Canada to be an associate member, join customs union like Turkey or a partial EEA benefits
Here the job market is stable and it is better than the job markets over there and the economy better than the USA and Canada that I know for sure you can try it and then you will find out!!! Sending my prayers to you and everyone who are struggling with everything that is going on right now and I hope you all get through this hard time greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Thanks and it will be a nightmare securing a work permit to the EU as a Canadian. Our country was too complacent and too dependent on America for far too long
I know that Trump wants the world dancing to his feet but that’s is not going to happen and he knows that we have a king and a queen and they are so good for the people and they are so modern and we have freedom of speech and we are glad we have freedom to do whatever we want and the woman are boss over there own body thank god
This is a brilliant analysis - in large part because it’s so well presented, that it’s so easily understandable!
Privatisation of public services in the UK has proven to be a failure. Look at the difference between Scottish water which is still being controlled by the Scottish government and the water companies in England which are totally privatised! Sewage problems in England galore, underfunded maintenance as they focus on paying dividends to shareholders, not spending money on maintenance! Same for the railroad etc etc
Don't forget the NHS, I know retirees like myself who have given their private insurance up and now have only a set time of 10 minutes for doctors' visits, while preventative medicine such as checkups just don't happen. Wait times for hips, knees etc. are prohibitively long, stretching into years unless you go private, way worse than our worst times. Meanwhile, beds and ORs are used for private patients and doctors.
NHS Scotland where we live is a bit better. At least we can get a doctors appointment, checkups etc. Had however to go private for my knee replacement as my leg was 55% bent and waiting time one year. If I had waited 1 year, I would have been in a wheelchair and my leg would have remained bent for the rest of my life. 3 years ago they diagnosed beginning of cataract in my right eye. In December 2025, they diagnosed beginning of cataract in my left eye. By Xmas 2025 I experienced severe problems with my left eye, thought it were dry eyes, but when artificial tears didn't help, I called the optician for another appointment which I had 3 February... Verdict... Cataract in my left eye was on a roller coaster ride and by April I would probably no longer be allowed to drive. Only option open was to go private again as waiting time one year. Am now scheduled for private cataract surgery on 3 (left eye) and 10 (right eye) March.
What beats me is that same surgeons performing the private operations are working in normal NHS hospitals! Why does the NHS not simply pay them extra for working extra days at NHS hospitals?
Yes that was actually an example I looked into for this piece. I just made it more general given the issues in Ontario and Alberta with privatization.
This comment is somewhat trite but we must fund heath care much more than adequately. I personally am opposed to a significant (really any) increase in for profit health services. At some point, while accepting the wrath of readers out there, we must consider raising taxes spent wisely in order to fund these important programmes.
Healthcare is already having funding issues in Ontario. The local hospitals have long wait times and lack competent doctors
A small example of this that I know of was related to me by a friend who was the manager of a long term care facility in BC. This was one of a chain of several government run facilities which had been bought out by a private investment company, ie. a for-profit system.
Her ability to manage the functions of the facility was severely undercut by the fact that groups of workers were hired by private firms and were not answerable to her, but only to the private firm that had contracted the workers but which had nothing to do with the facility.
Therefore she had no control over the work ethics of the hirelings, could not fire them for shoddy performance or insubordination.
Yes! See my post below.