NHS to become a ‘global brand’ in search for post-brexit profits

THE NHS is to be exported across the world as part of efforts to boost investment in Britain post-brexit, under controversial new government plans.

Hospitals and health watchdogs will be encouraged to set up franchises in dozens of countries, with profits ploughed into supporting the health service. The NHS will be asked to target up to £7billion of opportunities a year over the next decade in a bid to share expertise and increase investment in front-line services.

Officials hope to turn the UK’S national health service into a global brand, in the same way that the BBC gains significant income from its commercial BBC Worldwide arm.

In recent years, a handful of NHS trusts have set up franchises abroad.

Moorfields Eye Hospital has branches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has set up mental health services in Abu Dhabi, and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is helping to develop hospital services in China.

Together, NHS organisations have won export business of more than £100million over the last two years. But ministers want to go much further, and officials are in talks with NHS watchdogs the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and National Institute of Care and Health Excellence (Nice) about whether they could sell their expertise abroad, to countries attempting to strengthen healthcare regulation and assessment of new medicines.

Deborah Kobewka, managing director of Healthcare UK – a joint initiative of the Department for International Trade, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England – said a major expansion of NHS healthcare overseas is now planned.

She told The Daily Telegraph: “If NHS foundation trusts do this, they can put profits into front-line patient services, but it also offers opportunities for recruitment and retention – many staff want to do some work abroad – as well as strengthening research.”

In addition, the use of the NHS brand abroad would consolidate its reputation, she suggested. “This is about showcasing our expertise to the world.”

However, Joyce Robin, from Patient Concern, said: “This would be all very nice if we had a surplus of staff to go and share their expertise around the world, but the NHS is actually scrabbling to treat its own patients because there is such a dire shortage of nurses. I think the idea is ridiculous.”