How faded it all looks now.
““A core part of what the NHS does” is “to contribute to economic growth…through exporting innovation and expertise internationally”. The NHS is a commercial opportunity. Health is a commodity, patients its unit of production, and the accounting of NHS success or failure will include the extent to which health is monetised globally for revenue and profit. Ken Clarke spoke about UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), a wing of government dedicated to promoting exports, and Healthcare UK, a new unit forged between UKTI and the Department of Health. The first product of Healthcare UK will be a new initiative in the Middle East, to be launched in January next year. This is the NHS today: an ever diminished, fragmented, and unaccountable health service at home, but a luxury brand to be exploited abroad.”
Richard Horton quoting Ken Clarke in the Lancet Dec 1st 2012