What's for Sale? The NHS and trade agreements

Trade Bites

For many people, the idea that the National Health Service may be ‘up for sale’ in the UK’s upcoming international trade negotiations is a cause of great anxiety. But what does that phrase even mean? The NHS offers a massive range of services, from brain surgery to cleaning the hospital windows. So if any of these services are subcontracted, who is allowed to bid for them? To what extent do health care services form part of the discussions in international trade negotiations, such as the one the UK has recently commenced with the US? And are there international rules about what can, or should, or may not be on the table? To get to grips with these important questions, Chris Horseman is joined by Dr Ingo Borchert, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Fellow of the UKTPO; and Laura Bannister, Senior Adviser at the Trade Justice Movement.