Serco, the leading private contractor of services to the public sector, has come under attack for its "substandard" GP out-of-hours service in Cornwall, in a report published by the influential parliamentary public accounts committee on Thursday.
Many contractors and suppliers of services belong to trade associations which run arbitration schemes.
Her mother retired as a psychiatric social worker for Preferred Health Care, a contractor of psychiatric services in Southfield, Mich.
Serco, the leading private contractor of government services, fiddled its data when reporting to the NHS on targets it had failed to meet, according to the National Audit Office NAOO).
But it also offers an opportunity for the government to shape, through its power as a regulator and a contractor of private services, the kinds of jobs these industries will offer.
Many of the workers are volunteers, but the show employs contractors for services like publicity, insurance and entertainment.
With Cameron's plans to allow private companies to bid for almost every public service, including hospitals and schools, it is crucial that private contractors operating the sorts of services previously provided by local authorities are brought within the Human Rights Act.
Best of all are its lists of services: contractors, carpet cleaners, satellite dish installers, even maid service.
Private contractors provide a number of services, including transport, construction, drone operation, and security.
In addition, there are also more than 12,000 doctors, family practitioners and allied health professionals, including dentists, opticians and community pharmacists, who operate as independent contractors providing a range of services within the NHS in return for fees and allowances.
