This Al Jazeera film highlights what happens when public services are privatized, in order to, gain better efficiency:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F845716F-6FAD-494F-8F19-1425B3FF5C47.htm

Across the world, public infrastructure projects like roads, hospitals and schools have traditionally been financed through taxation or government borrowing.

But in 1990, John Major's government in the UK introduced a new way of funding public investment, referred to as the Private Finance Initiatives (PFI).

In exchange for raising the money and building the project, the private sector would be paid an annual fee from the government for those services.

In return, the taxpayer is supposed to receive better value for money and service delivery by private sector efficiency.