Both economic theory and evidence from the UK shows that state-funded healthcare which incorporates market-type incentives will save more lives and reduce more suffering

Commentary by Allyson Pollock et al misrepresents the findings of economic analyses of quasi-markets says Julian Le Grand. Looking at the evidence (and recognizing the defects of state agencies’ administration of healthcare) shows that quasi-markets with fixed prices perform better. Competitive mechanisms in the NHS were also supported by previous Labour reforms