OFT to probe private healthcare market

It will aim to formally launch its investigation in spring next year to examine the nature of competition in the market. The OFT said its preliminary research had raised questions about whether the market was working well for private patients, the BBC reports. The private healthcare market is worth £5.5bn and is of growing importance due to an ageing population, improved medical outcomes and higher life expectancy, the OFT says. It added it was of growing importance to the NHS because of government initiatives that allow NHS patients to seek treatment from private healthcare provid...