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<p>The Government has no intention of opening up National Health Service services
to further competition through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
(TTIP), and this is not a focus of the negotiations. Our focus for health is to enable
our world-class pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors to benefit from improved
access to the United States market, increasing growth and employment in the United
Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has already undertaken long-standing agreements on trade,
including in health services, since the 1995 General Agreement on Trade in Services
(GATs). The UK's objective in Fair Trade Agreement negotiations, including TTIP, is
to maintain commitments in health services that are broadly in line with our existing
obligations under GATS. These agreements have not impacted on our ability to provide
public services to date and we do not consider that TTIP will change this. As is the
case now, to work or operate here any overseas healthcare professionals or companies
would have to comply with UK standards and regulations, in just the same way as UK
healthcare providers do.</p><p> </p><p>We have made clear to the European (EU) Commission,
who is negotiating the TTIP on behalf of member states, that it must always be for
member states to decide for themselves whether or not to open up public services to
competition, and this is the approach that the EU Commission is taking. The TTIP should
not reduce the ability of member states to make future decisions about whether and
to what extent to involve the private sector in the provision of public services.</p><p>
</p><p>If investment provisions are included in the TTIP, they will strike an appropriate
balance between protection for UK investors abroad, and ensuring that the Government
is not prevented from acting in the public interest in areas such as public health
and the NHS.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to an NHS that is always there
for everyone who needs it, funded from general taxation, free at the point of use.
The TTIP could not change this.</p><p> </p>
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