Competion in the NHS

Introducing private competition in the NHS will improve transparency. But only if done properly. 
Sadly, the track record of public procurement in the UK suggests that it won't be done properly; that, instead
of establishing a competitive environment, it establishes a community of oligopolists, each of whom periodically wins a contract that gives it a monopoly for the (much too long) duration of the contract. Many have grown rich, fat and lazy on that basis.

Proper competition in the NHS (and other public services) would see a at least half a dozen small to medium companies - in each specialism - competing day-in-day-out for individual customers, based on price, quality and availability. Quality should be agreed contractually and monitored continually, based on outcomes (but taking account of the state of the patients on admission). 

Private firms respond to financial incentives and disincentives, so lapses in quality should be associated with heavy fines. Notice that fines only make sense for private companies. Fining an NHS hospital makes no sense: the hospital will just have less money to provide care. In the case of a private company, the shareholders will get less money.

The threat of injury lawsuits might deter small to medium companies.  Let fines take the place of lawsuits, so that the independent inspectorate can weed out frivolous claims, while stamping hard on any poor practice (and even harder on malpractice).