John Pugh is a member of Keep our NHS Public  and a strong opponent of a privatised NHS. 

"There is the very real danger that with the local health trusts being told they need to save millions - they increasingly fall for management consultants- advice and start to chop out bits of the service handing them to private health companies- including what would be called core services. The process has in effect begun.

"This would brings an element of profit into the NHS without necessarily increasing efficiency. 

"However as Sefton have found when they privatised lumps of many council services this can be a false economy as the council is still struggling with financial problems and a semi-privatised Technical Services isn't getting potholes fixed any more quickly!

"There is another way. Instead of transferring NHS staff to the private sector, it is better to consult and involve frontline staff on the whole process of greater efficiency. That way you can have efficiency and public service values. Listening to the people in the frontline is better than listening to overpaid management consultants.

"Having lived all my life under a public NHS  I don't want to see it broken up."