What Role Might A Price System Play In Overcoming The Disadvantages Of A Public (NHS) System? The question above challenges the ability of the free market to provide an efficient allocation of resources with regards to social and economic efficiency within the healthcare sector. Economic efficiency is defined as allocative (P=MC), productive (MPPl / Pl = MPPk / Pk) and x-efficiency (operating on the lowest possible AC and MC curves under monopoly); social efficiency results from the aforementioned three measures to create Pareto Optimality. Such a question is posed in response to the weakness of a publicly funded healthcare system despite the advantages that accrue from such a system. The rationale behind free healthcare is twofold; firstly, healthcare is considered by society to be universally desirable and to ration it through the price mechanism is seen as inequitable. This is taken from the moral standpoint of democratic governance and underpinned by welfare economics. Social indicators such as the public quality of life index (PQLI) illustrate the increase in societal well being through the allocation of healthcare on the basis of need and not simply income or wealth