Session 8

Private equity in healthcare

Curse or cure for public healthcare systems?

Organised by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (Austrian National Public Health Institute)

This session examines the expanding role of private capital in European healthcare and its implications for solidarity, equity, and sustainability. Across Europe, private equity firms, investment funds, and institutional investors are increasingly present in healthcare markets. Proponents argue such investment mobilises capital, drives innovation, and improves efficiency. Critics warn of cost escalation, service fragmentation, workforce pressures, and a shift from patient outcomes toward financial returns.

The session confronts a central question: Does private capital strengthen or undermine solidarity-based European health systems, and under what governance conditions should health policymakers act? Two structured positions frame the debate: private capital as part of the solution versus private equity as a systemic risk incompatible with solidarity principles. Drawing on emerging European evidence, the session moves beyond polarised framing to identify where private investment creates value, where risks arise, and what regulatory responses are needed to safeguard public interests.

Speakers to be announced