UK Doctors Warn TTIP Means Certain Death for Public Healthcare

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/06/23/uk-doctors-warn-ttip-means-certain-death-public-healthcare



Physicians say national health service faces lawsuits, bullying, and privatization under contentious trade pact

UK Doctors Warn TTIP Means Certain Death for Public Healthcare
Lauren McCauley, staff writer
Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Doctors in the United Kingdom are warning that passage of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will mean certain death for the country's public healthcare system, opening the door for privatization and lawsuits from the United States' for-profit medical industry.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Liverpool on Tuesday, Dr. Henry McKee of Belfast warned members that "if there is anything resembling an (National Health Service) by the time this treaty is in negotiation, it won't survive this treaty."

"The correct motion is to kill this treaty dead, not to tolerate it sneaking in and mugging us," he added.

McKee's comments came as BMA members voted in favor of lobbying the UK government against the trade agreement, advocating for a provision that would remove healthcare from the contentious pact. In a vote earlier this month, the European Parliament backed a similar recommendation though it is up to the official European trade negotiators to demand such exclusions.

[newfie11]

1. I hope they have better luck then we've had here in America nt

[maindawg]

2. No more public healthcare?

I cant imagine taking public health care away from a populace that has become accustomed to it. Then to try to change over to what we have which is a fraud plagued top down boondoggle. I mean we are saddled with this rip off bullshit system because thats the way its always been. They grew it into our culture.It sucks. Its bad. I cannot fathom what the citizens of UK are thinking. They keep electing conservative govt that keeps them in austerity hell bent on allowing corporations to run their country with the same archaic laws that we deal with.

No more public healthcare means much suffering. Thats what the billionaires want?

[pangaia]

3. The bastards are taking over the entire world !

[Ed Suspicious]

4. Our capitalists are a scourge upon the world. FML.

[A Simple Game]

5. Does every government in the world just cede their powers to private entities?

European Parliament backed a similar recommendation though it is up to the official European trade negotiators to demand such exclusions.

The government can't tell the negotiators what to negotiate?