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Daniel Hannan, a Tory MEP (Member of European Parliament) who criticised the NHS on American TV was accused of being “unpatriotic” by Andy Burnham, who is the Health Secretary. He claimed that the NHS is unfair and outdated and should be scrapped. Hannan made a series of appearances on American television over several weeks, and was quoted as describing the NHS as “60 year mistake” and he “wouldn’t wish it on anyone”. This rather brutal attack on the NHS came about following Obama’s proposal to introduce a similar system in America. Mr Hannan has repeatedly stressed that the views he expressed on U.S TV were his own and not those of the party but that Roger Helmer, a fellow Tory MEP who reports claim he said on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “I think Dan has done us a service by raising these issues which need to be looked at”. Burnham said: “What has happened within the last 48 hours is what Cameron has feared most because it lays bare the Tories’ deep ambivalence towards the NHS.”

Daniel Hannan claims that: “If 80% of Americans are getting better health care than we are in the UK then we ought to ask why, and we ought to ask how are we going to deliver equally good results.” For those who are not particularly familiar with the current health care system in America see The Difference between USA healthcare and the NHS

Tory leader David Cameron, vows to protect health from spending cuts that have been predicted for 2011 if he comes to power, he reiterates his commitment to the NHS and has made it clear that he does not share Hannan’s views and has distanced himself from Hannan. Cameron claims:”We are the party of the NHS, we back it, we are going to expand it, we have ring-fenced it and said that it will get more money under a Conservative government, and it is our number one mission to improve it.” He goes on to say: “He (Hannan) does have some quite eccentric views about some things, and political parties always include some people who don’t toe the party line on one issue or another issue.”

There are some who feel that Daniel Hannan should be disciplined for his comments about the NHS. Mr Hannan’s words have been seized on by Labour and the Liberal Democrats who have questioned the party’s commitment to the NHS. His critics state that Hannan’s words were an “insult” to the 1.4m NHS workers and “he should not be voicing those views in the foreign media in my view”. John Prescott has recorded a message accusing Mr Hannan of “misrepresentation of the NHS here in Britain”. Even the Prime Minister has publicly joined those who support the NHS by joining the welovetheNHS Twitter campaign, that was set up defend the health service from US attacks.

It would seem that Hannan’s comment has stirred alot of unrest within the British public and alot of people are pledging their support to the NHS. One of those is the physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, who claims that he would not be alive without it: “I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.” Hawking, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease, was in Washington to be awarded the America’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. An American newspaper subsequently used Prof Hawking as an example of the deficiencies of the NHS. “People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless,” it claimed.

As with any big institution there will be a few that oppose it but for the vast majority of people the NHS does work and saves millions of lives. For those that don’t like the NHS the UK also has the option of private healthcare so if you don’t want to use the NHS go private. Simple.