NHS quangofied

I sent this to the Guardian a couple of days ago in response to the BMA's call for the NHS to be turned into a quango.

Sir: The call by the BMA for the NHS to be managed by an independent body free from political influence will simply reduce the accountability of our health service to an all time low. Instead we should follow the example of social care and move control of health care to local government.

Only when people have a say in how the NHS is run will they be truly engaged; health care requires difficult choices - choice that should be made by users, not by unelected unaccountable bureaucrats. The NHS is a flagship service of this country and should not be turned into a quango.

Stuart Jeffery
Health spokesperson for the Green Party