Protesters voice their concerns at changes to NHS (From Worcester News)

Where is there evidence that 'private' companies put profits before quality care. Private companies are very aware that poor care costs more so have a greater incentive to get it right. If the NHS had consistently delivered high quality care I could have some sympathy with them, but it didn't. In fact, it wasn't too long ago that most people envied those who could afford to go to a private hospital. I don't mind who provides the care as long as safe, its free at the time of delivery, for everyone. That's what our NHS is all about. I'm tired of all the reactionary protests about the reforms from people who don't really understand the basics. And I spent 20 years working in the NHS but got out to the private sector as I couldn't stand the waste of tax payers money and poor care provided.

The Coalition is pushing the NHS towards full-scale privitisation, USA style. They are making very large steps towards dismantling the NHS - you know, the Health system that has been the envy of the world for many decades. Just take a look at the US - where 10s of millions of people can't even access basic health care and where middle class families find themselves financially ruined if one of their family members develops an opngoing serious health condition or needs a one off operation. This is where the Coalition is taking us.
What happened when Dentists started operating as private businesses rather than as part of the NHS - the number of people accessing Deantal Health Care has dropped dramatically.
Evidence that 'private' companies put profits before quality care? Take a look at the Private Care Homes and reports of neglect and abuse that occur due to private companies putting 'profit' before care.
Try going to a private health care company/hospital when you have got a swerious health care condition/illness and need an operation - will they put 'care' before 'profit' when you tell them you don't have the money to pay their fees? We all know the answer to that question.
The 'business' model works well for the world of business, trade, markets, etc. but is an unmitigated disaster for health, education and social care - the Coalition, by the way is, making moves to privitise child protection - ie child protection will be a 'business'.
And with all this privitisation going on have any of you noticed you tax bills going down? No, it will cost you just as much as a taxpayer but in future you will also have very large insurance premiums or financially devastating one off or ongoing bills to pay private healthcare companies whosde healthcare satandards and provisions will come to an abrupt halt when you can't, as an individual, cough up the money.
And the tragedy is that we will never get the NHS back once it is gone.

Your conflating so many issues its difficult to know where to start. The reason Americans can't access health care is because they have a very different funding arrangement - private health insurance. The NHS is payed for out of general taxation. NO political party has said they are changing the funding system, therefore to compare it with the US is complete nonsense. The reason some care homes provide poor quality care is because they are poorly funded by LAs. They can't afford trained staff. Why - because our older people hace such a low status in this country. I could go on.......

No, I'm not conflating issues. The reforms that the Coalition are proposing are indeed a very large step towards privitisation, and a US style Health system for the UK - many Health experts agree with me on this.
You also need to read up the research and literature about abuse of older people and private healthcare/social care. Contrary to what you say in your first comment - Private Healthcare providers are aware that poor healthcare provision is cheaper for them an so are heavily incentivised to cut corners whenever they can rather than aim to meet needs with the highest quality service provision possible.
And how many people in the UK no longer acces dental care since the move over to needing Dental Insurance? Research reveals that it is millions have dropped out of Dental Care. And sure enough the Coalition reforms of the Health Care system is preparing the ground for making it necessary to take out Health Care Insurance in order to access healthcare. They are perfectly explicit in saying that they want more and more healthcare to be provided by the private sector.
Good to see that you realised that you can't support your point that Private Healthcare providers don't put income/profit before healthcare needs.
And of course the Coalition is bulldozing this dismantling of the NHS and push towards privitisation and the running of Health & Social Care as a business (rather than as a service) in the context of the vast majority of GPs, patients and the public not supporting the changes the Coalition are forcing upon the country. Just about every major Health Care body representing Doctors, Nurses, Patient Groups, etc. have expressed alarm and dismay at the proposed reforms warning about the disaster for the Healthcare system that they will create for all concerned. The Coalition, with their leader with his PR background, have set up a PR exercise about consulting relevant stakeholders.... but it has been leaked and reported in the media that whatever the result of the consultation process (PR exercise) there won't be any major or significant changes to the reforms for the NHS.