NO COMMITMENT TO PROTECT NHS IN ANY TRADE DEALS WITH THE US
During Business Questions, I asked the Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom to make a statement on the Government’s commitment to rejecting the inclusion of the NHS in any trade deal with the United States. As part of any future US-UK trade deal, there are worrying moves in the White House to remove the rules that limit what American drug companies can charge NHS services across the UK, which would allow big health corporations to bid for control of large parts of our NHS.
Post-Brexit, Scotland’s NHS is vulnerable as the Westminster power grab meant the Scottish Parliament has no control over public procurement over how our NHS and other key public services are delivered. That lies in the hands of the UK Government. We have already seen significant privatisation measures in England’s health service and this must not be allowed to happen in Scotland
NHS services across the UK are our most cherished institutions, and it is vital that we ensure it is protected from the profiteering seen in the American healthcare system, where healthcare is treated as a privilege, not a right. I urged the Government to categorically reject such an attack on our NHS, and I was disappointed that no such commitment was given.
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