A SHEFFIELD MP spoke out in Parliament to accuse the Government of ‘breaking its promises’ over the privatisation of NHS services.
Paul Blomfield, who represents Sheffield Central, challenged the health secretary Jeremy Hunt to hold a full debate and vote on the Coalition’s new NHS competition regulations.
Last year Mr Hunt said the proposals contained ‘nothing that promotes or permits the transfer of NHS activities to the private sector’.
But, during Health Questions in the House of Commons, Mr Blomfield said: “The new NHS competition regulations break those promises by creating a requirement for almost all commissioning to be carried out through competitive markets, forcing privatisation through the back door, regardless of local will.”
Afterwards Mr Blomfield added: “His refusal to hold a full debate and vote is undemocratic and just goes to show that you cannot trust the Tories on the NHS.
“Last year Tory ministers promised to keep the NHS public, and now their privatisation plans are being exposed.”
The Government says it has put services out only for ‘competition on quality, not price’.
MPs have until March 31 to overturn the planned rules.
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