I guess a lot of it depends upon who is perceived to be the "winner" in the business. Private investors are, by necessity, selfish creatures. No profit = no motivation to invest. When it's not "your money" where's the motivation to make it work properly? That's how I see it anyway.......essential services like health, transportation, education, emergency services and security should NEVER be in the hands of "private investment", since by definition the money which is being "invested" in these services is OURS! Our governments should be the ones whom we can hold accountable when these services fail to deliver what is required of them (something which I find highly ironic since people like Tom constantly battle to meet targets and save lives, whilst their budgets are cut/raised/cut/raised at a whim based on performance indicators which do not reflect reality - the ambulance service delivers - against seemingly insurmountable odds - and is treated like crap.....then the nursing services do their best to deliver and are also treated like crap - and senior managers almost gleefully sow seeds of conflict between them as they struggle for recognition and resources - the old, classic divide and rule concept so successfully implemented under two decades of Thatcherism....)