ARE THE electorate ready for their savings to be raided in order to receive NHS services?

Lord Prior, unelected member of the House of Lords, is proposing that insurance-based charging is to be introduced into the provision of NHS services.

It is less than three months since the election. The idea of a commission or other report into co- payments and insurance for the NHS is being proposed, with support from all sides of the Lords.

Not only was there no mention of this in any manifesto but in 2011 David Cameron said: “Let me make this clear – we will not be moving towards an insurance scheme, we will not introduce an American-style private system. In this country we have this most wonderful, precious institution and idea. That whenever you are ill, however rich you are, you can walk into a hospital or surgery and get treated for free. No questions asked. No cash asked. I will never put that at risk.”

The Conservative health minister Lord Prior has suggested to Parliament that he plans to launch an enquiry to consider whether we should move away from a tax-funded NHS towards one funded by insurance and co-payments.

Will Nicola Blackwood MP ask the Prime Minister to confirm, is it now official policy to consider such a move, away from the core principles of the NHS that have been in place since 1948? Does the unelected minister have the authority to announce such a review?

TIMOTHY J. OATES
Member of the National Health Action party
St Peter’s Road, Abingdon