Choice and Competition: Analysis on Quasi-market Mechanism Reform of British NHS System

The quality, efficiency, responsiveness, and equity of service management are the indicators for the public health care system. International experiences show that the provision of public medical and health services in general has four modes: namely, trust-based mode, command and control mode, opinion expression mode, and choice and competition mode. Each mode has its own advantage, as well as disadvantage. Existing theories and empirical studies suggest that the choice and competition mode in most cases is superior to other modes. Since the 21^st century, the British National Health Service (NHS) system carried through a quasi-market mechanism reform based on the principle of choice and competition. As a result, its medical service in terms of quality, efficiency, responsiveness, and equity made significant improvement. Meanwhile, the related management institutions and policy have the necessity to get well-arranged and redesign in order to cope with potential problems and challenges.