We cannot afford to be smug about future of the NHS

Sir, – I fear the NHS is being geared up for privatisation by stealth on a large scale.

Recently the prime minister appointed as a health adviser a woman that was head of Operose, the UK subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a large US health insurance provider.

Operose last month took over 37 GP practices in London. This appears to be the favoured model.

Not only has Centene taken control of a valuable public asset it will gain access to all the records of the 500,000 people covered by the practices.

The latter is a valuable resource for those wanting to sell drugs to the NHS and insurance to individuals.

We in Scotland who have public control of the NHS should not be smug about retaining the NHS in public hands.

The impact of privatisation south of the border will have huge implications for the way the NHS is run in Scotland.

Indeed, the Westminster Government refused repeatedly to put safeguards around the NHS in its recent Trade Act – so that now the NHS could well be a major bargaining chip in any trade negotiations and future deals.

Trade deals are a retained power within Westminster.

Therefore anything agreed by the UK Government in terms of trade deals will override anything we want to do in Scotland, including retaining public control of the NHS.

I, and many others, are grateful for all the NHS has achieved for us and our loved ones over the years.

We should not allow it to be sold off for private profit. Brian Batson.

Lour Road, Forfar.