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Nick Seddon Joins Move for NHS Privatization

By Joie M Gahum | Update Date: Feb 06, 2017 08:40 AM EST

Nick Seddon, a former government health adviser has joined Optum, a multinational insurance company firm, which is currently involved in the privatization of the NHS. This followed shortly after David Cameron became Executive Vice President of Optum.

The Independent UK reports that Nick Seddon was initially David Cameron's Special Adviser for Health before Cameron left his political role last July 2016. Parliament representative Theresa May is firm that the NHS is not for sale and it will never be sold as a response to the growing concerns that the privatization of the organization is part of the post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and the America.

Optum has already provided medication management and contract negotiations for 156 NHS organizations and has been treating the NHS as "partners." Nick Seddon's involvement in the move to the private healthcare system is the United States is showing the links between private health care firms and the present U.S. administration's growing disappointment with the state of the NHS.

Back in 2011, Nick Seddon who was working for Cameron for the Circle of Health managed to head the move in successfully running an NHS hospital via the private healthcare company. However, the hospital, Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire was handed back to the NHS in 2015 due to "inadequate" reasons as determined by the Care Quality Commission, The Guardian reports.

Reports also indicate that instead of private healthcare companies directly partnering with the NHS, some of the US companies are entering the United Kingdom through acquisitions, with the aim of building a relationship with other existing British companies. This lead to the acquisition of the Aspen Healthcare that aims to operates not only private hospitals and clinics in the UK but as well as NHS hospitals.

The NHS has always been a goldmine by US tech companies just like how insurance companies see the organization. Several personalities and organizations are expected to fight for their belief against the privatization of the health service or if it will soften up to welcome private health organizations and other organization to consider their welfare.

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