Dear Mr Djanogly,

 I am writing to you regarding the NHS bill due for debate later today. The possibility of this bill becoming law upsets me greatly. The public don't want it. Patients don't want it. The medical establishment don't want it. The bill stands to do serious harm to the NHS, and thus the health of our citizenry. Furthermore, the refusal of the government to publish the risks register even after a tribunal ruling should be reason enough to reject the bill. If a law cannot be passed with full transparency and a fully informed parliament, it should not be passed at all. 

  A key role of government is to provide services in the public interest instead of in pursuit of profit. Things like health, education, and the emergency services should be focused on how they impact people's lives, not their cost. Countries such as the US and France (held up as 'model' healthcare systems') spend roughly twice as much as the UK does on healthcare, to achieve about the same results (and sometimes lower). They also have large proportions of their population uninsured, with limited or no access to medical care. Even those with insurance can be bankrupted due to the deductibles or non-covered procedures. 

   The issue of access to healthcare is particularly poignant to me; right now, my stepmother is in intensive care in Addenbrooke's hospital, awaiting a liver transplant. She's been in the ICU for 5 days now, receiving the best of care. Despite this, she may not survive. If the ICU was being run by a commercial entity, I shudder to think of the pressure brought to bear on doctors about minimising stays, or corners cut to keep margins intact. 

    I understand that this bill is important to your party, and you may not be able to oppose it. I would urge you to consider your conscience - and your constituents - and oppose the bill, but if this is not possible then please avoid the debate entirely. Your absence could help keep our world-class health system alive. 


     Yours sincerely,

      Alex Pounds.