Wes Streeting: Social media trolls saying I want NHS privatisation ‘boil my blood’

The Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hit out at critics suggesting on social media he “wants NHS privatisation”, saying it “boils my blood” more than anything else.

Streeting warned it would happen “over my dead body”, saying he believed in the health service as a “public service, publicly funded, free at the point of use” and would not allow a US-style health system.

For more from LabourList, follow us on  Bluesky, Threads, X,Facebook,  Instagram or WhatsApp.

In a briefing with Labour members on Tuesday night, he still issued a stark warning: “With our growing ageing society, rising levels of chronic disease and rising cost pressures, unless we start to bend…the curve of cost and demand over the course of the next decade, our NHS will look increasingly financially unsustainable, and the principle of the NHS free at the point of views becomes in real jeopardy.

“And we can already see some of the Tories, including the Leader of the Opposition herself, attacking that principle.”

‘I talk a lot about reform, not just investment’

He said the country needs a “shift from an NHS that primarily treats sickness to one that prevents illness before they occur”. He highlighted his work chairing Labour’s health mission board, working with different departments from Transport, supporting active travel, to Education, supporting more physical activity in schools.

He added: “The reason people are anxious about the future of the NHS: they can see the state of the economy, they can see the state of the health service, and they can see the extent to which the NHS is always the winner in Budgets.

READ MORE: NHS puberty blockers ban: Fresh party trans row as LGBT+ Labour sounds alarm

“They’re going to think ‘is this sustainable?’. And that’s why it’s my responsibility to make sure the NHS is on a sustainable footing. Because unless I do that, that promise of an NHS that is publicly funded, public service, free at the point of use, will be in jeopardy.

“And so that’s why I talk a lot about NHS reform, not just investment. We’ve got to make sure that every penny that goes in is money well spent.

“As I’ve said so many times – which is why I probably shouldn’t say this in case any of any of my trolls find out – the thing that really bores my blood on social media, over and above everything else, is when people either imply or or directly say” ‘Oh, he wants to get rid of the NHS as free at the point of use, he wants NHS privatisation’.

“Over my dead body. I believe in the NHS as a public service, publicly funded, free, at the point of use. When I went through kidney cancer, there were so many things to worry about, but the one thing I never had to worry about was the bill.

“And you look across the pond at the United States of America, and you look at the extent to which people worry about their bills for healthcare. That is not a future for this country that I want to see, and that is not a future for our country that I will allow as your health secretary.”

‘Not bad for the first five months’

He also said Labour had “hit the ground running” on social care, from delivering fair pay agreements in social care, to boosting carers’ allowance and the disabled facilities grant.

“Without sounding too self-congratulatory on behalf of the government, it’s not bad for the first five months.

SIGN UP: Get the best daily roundup and analysis of Labour news and comment in our newsletter

“I often have to say to people. we have only been in for five months. I know there’s loads more to do. Of course there is. Look at the state of the country we inherited.”

He added: “The scale of the challenge is enormous, but so is the potential for change, and that is why the last five months have been some of the most difficult, exhausting and wonderful months I’ve ever – being able to really deliver change at the heart of government is a great thing.”

• SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected]. 
• SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning. 
• DONATE: If you value our work, please donate to become one of our supporters here and help sustain and expand our coverage.
• PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or content, email [email protected].