Last year, Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan said on American TV that the NHS was a “60-year mistake” and warned Americans against adopting “a socialist healthcare system”.

While Cameron rebuked him at the time and said that the NHS would be safe in his hands, that’s not what the White Paper and Andrew Lansley are saying.

The proposals to move hospitals out of the NHS to create a “vibrant industry of social enterprises” is privatisation through the back door – how the Lib Dems can support this is totally unbelievable.

Lansley has announced he expects all NHS trusts, which run hospitals and mental health units, to have foundation status by 2013.

The reason is that he will be relaxing the rules which cap the amount of income a trust can make outside the NHS, opening the door to them seeing more private patients.

What guarantee will there be for National Health Service patients? Will profit will come first with regard to waiting lists?

What is evident is market forces will deprive people of local care. Lansley has stated this move would mean trusts which are not financially viable would be allowed to go under.

Is this what people really vote for? Next they will want us to take out American-style insurance and we all know where that leads.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing Labour spokeperson for health, housing and adult social serivces, Leeman Road, York.