The Three Ps in the NHS White Paper: Partnership, Privatisation and Predation: Which Way will it Go and Does it Matter? Available to Purchase

The publication of the Coalition Government's NHS White Paper seems to be proposing a revitalised relationship between adult social care and the NHS. This article explores these proposals and concludes that, although they hold promise, they may be insufficiently robust to overcome the priority the White Paper gives to competition rather than collaboration. It is suggested that social care is in danger of becoming a handmaiden to health care in an increasingly privatised market that could move towards an insurance‐based model of funding.