NHS 10-year plan will embed privatisation and hollow out the health service | Letter

The news article discusses the potential risks to the NHS (National Health Service) posed by the government's 10-year health plan. The key points are: 1. The 10-year plan shifts outpatient services from publicly owned hospitals to public-private-funded neighborhood health centers, and commits to contracting out NHS services, thereby embedding privatization. 2. The private sector's involvement in NHS eye care has had a devastating impact, with research showing that on average, one-third of the money the NHS pays for cataract operations goes to profit. 3. The article cites the example of social care, where the state's capacity to deliver has diminished over time, with the proportion of state-provided beds dropping from 64% in 1979 to just 6% in 2012. 4. The author warns that the 10-year health plan could lead to the NHS going the way of social care, where the state is no longer able or willing to deliver the services. Overall, the article expresses concern about the potential impact of the government's reforms on the future of the NHS, highlighting the risks of increased privatization and the loss of state capacity to deliver healthcare services.