Observations Future of the NHS Is the NHS really safe from international trade agreements? BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2179 (Published 28 April 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h2179 Article Related content Metrics Responses Get access to this article and to all of thebmj.com for 14 days Sign up today for a 14 day free trial Sign up for a free trial Access to the full version of this article requires a subscription Please login, sign up for a 14 day trial, or subscribe below. Lucy Reynolds, research fellow, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, Martin McKee, professor of European public health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine lucy.reynolds@lshtm.ac.uk, martin.mckee@lshtm.ac.uk Lessons have come from Slovakia International trade agreements generally attract little public scrutiny in the United Kingdom, but while some are uncontroversial, others are not.1 One, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP),2 currently being negotiated between the European Union and United States, even features in the 2015 UK general election manifestos, with all three main parties supporting it, albeit with certain reservations, and upcoming parties such as the Green Party and National Health Action Party opposing it.3 There are concerns that TTIP, which will cover over 40% of the world’s economy, would enable global corporations to over-ride a future UK government seeking to reverse aspects of NHS privatisation,4 potentially leading to the replacement of the NHS with a US style market based system.5 The UK government could opt to remove many aspects of healthcare from the scope of TTIP, just as the French government has excluded its cultural sector. Yet the coalition government has declined to do so, arguing that this is unnecessary. Prime Minister David Cameron … Get access to this article and to all of thebmj.com for 14 days Sign up today for a 14 day free trial Sign up for a free trial Access to the full version of this article requires a subscription Please login, sign up for a 14 day trial, or subscribe below. Sign in Log in using your username and password BMA members Sign in via institution Sign in via OpenAthens Personal subscribers sign in here: Username Password Need to activate Forgot your sign in details?

Observations Future of the NHS

Is the NHS really safe from international trade agreements?

BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2179 (Published 28 April 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h2179

1. Lucy Reynolds, research fellow, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK,
2. Martin McKee, professor of European public health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

1. lucy.reynolds@lshtm.ac.uk, martin.mckee@lshtm.ac.uk

Lessons have come from Slovakia

International trade agreements generally attract little public scrutiny in the United Kingdom, but while some are uncontroversial, others are not.1 One, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP),2 currently being negotiated between the European Union and United States, even features in the 2015 UK general election manifestos, with all three main parties supporting it, albeit with certain reservations, and upcoming parties such as the Green Party and National Health Action Party opposing it.3 There are concerns that TTIP, which will cover over 40% of the world’s economy, would enable global corporations to over-ride a future UK government seeking to reverse aspects of NHS privatisation,4 potentially leading to the replacement of the NHS with a US style market based system.5

The UK government could opt to remove many aspects of healthcare from the scope of TTIP, just as the French government has excluded its cultural sector. Yet the coalition government has declined to do so, arguing that this is unnecessary.