My impression is that only a tiny proportion of the people living in England realise that the Government has given up responsibility to provide free health care for all here; and that the NHS is currently being broken up and privatised in a major way.

The National Health Service has been one of the UK’s greatest achievements. For 65 years it has provided a comprehensive, cost-effective, universal health service, free at the point of need to all people, irrespective of their background, circumstance or ability to pay. This founding vision has been slowly but surely eroded. The final blow was the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which removed the Government’s obligation to provide free health care for all; and the NHS in England is now being dismantled and privatised on a large scale without most of the public being aware of the scale and consequences of these changes.

When privatisation of the NHS started a decade ago, one voice was clearer than all others in warning where this road would end: Professor Allyson Pollock. Now that the pace of privatisation is speeding up, Prof Pollock is leading the movement to save our most treasured institution. People have an opportunity to hear her explain how they are selling off our NHS, and to find out what we can do to help save it. She will be speaking at Oxford Town Hall on November 25 at 8pm. Tickets are available at www.greenoxford shire.com/pollock, or on the door.

Ann Duncan

Green Party Parliamentary candidate,

Oxford East

Today’s letters

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