Helston and West Cornwall MP Andrew George has said he will vote against the government's controversial Health Bill this week as concerns rise that it will see the privatisation of the NHS.

There has been widespread concern among doctors and campaigners that, as it stands, the bill will allow much of the £85bn NHS budget to flow into the pockets of private companies and their shareholders.

GP leaders and unions have also stepped up calls on MPs to reject the bill this week after e-mails obtained under the FoI act showed Department of Health officials have discussed plans for private firms to run between ten and 20 NHS hospitals in a deal worth up to £500m.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Mr George said; “The bill breaks the Coalition Agreement, is based upon a false claim that the NHS performs poorly in comparison with health systems across Europe, and represents the biggest upheaval of the NHS in its history at precisely the time it needs stability and certainty.

“The bill runs the high risk of producing a NHS which is driven more by private profit than by concern about patient care; risks undermining emergency services through the fragmentation of health systems; is a major missed opportunity to produce a health service that is more accountable to the patients and communities it serves; and fails to do what really needs to be done, i.e. streamline the pathways between health and social care.”