We’re handing future of our NHS to other countries - YEP letters

In December 2020, the House of Lords voted to amend the Trade Bill to allow MPs to scrutinise this and other Bills and to protect the NHS from inclusion in future trade deals, particularly with America.

However, last week Conservative MPs, including my own MP, Mr Alec Shelbrooke, voted against both the protection and scrutiny amendments.

The scrutiny amendment would have enabled MPs to have a greater ‘say’ both in trade deals and any other legislation.

The NHS protection amendment would have prohibited the sale of NHS data to private companies, protected the terms and conditions of NHS workers - those people who are getting us through the pandemic, prevented pharmaceutical companies from increasing the price of drugs sold to the NHS and guaranteed that any decisions that affect the NHS are not made by foreign courts by the process of Investor-State Dispute Settlement.

Undoubtedly, the refusal of many MPs to vote for these amendments is a set back for the NHS and it seems ironic that having voted for Brexit, arguably to protect our sovereignty, we will be handing over the future of the NHS to foreign countries, such as America.