The link provided focuses on six commissioning units. There are actually 211 CCGs, so let's get this into perspective.

Health expenditure is around £2k per head in England at the moment but is rising quite quickly, along with every other country. That is 9.27% of GDP compared with 16.9% in the USA. The CCGs underspent their budgets by £813m last year.

The number of people aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 10.84m in 2012 to 17.79m by 2037. As part of this growth, the number of over-85s is estimated to more than double from 1.44 million in 2012 to 3.64 million by 2037.

Where the UK falls down in the international leagues is 'healthy lives'. This has been a major focus for some of the involvement of private firms. There is a legal requirement for the CCGs to spend on e.g. smoking cessation, weight control and alcohol management.

So, in a nutshell, it's you old b*stards again mortgaging the future of the yoof. And if you are a fat boozy smoker you are opening the door to privatisation.

Oh, and Tamasin Cave. I definitely would, lots.

Credit where due. A thoughtful/spot on post.

Jackson.. Wan Bissaka.... Sansom.. Nicholas.. Cannon.. Guehi.... Zaha... Thomas.. Byrne... Holton.. Rogers.. that should do it..

You work in 'IT', blame anyone who lives an unhealthy lifestyle but doesn't care that you are being robbed.
I'm alright Jack?

No, none of the above. I care deeply. Just can't stand the way the NHS has become a political football. Looked into it during the election, resulting for example in me not being able to consider the Greens. I repeat, it is not robbery if someone offers you a service that is better value than the competition and makes a profit from it. If it were you would only be dealing with not-for-profit organisations for everything. Did you ever work in the Communist countries? I did and they didn't work too well. Nice try, didn't work, move on.

And you accusing me of I'm Alright Jack just shows you haven't been paying attention.

Labour and their left leaning supporters will continue to "weaponise" the NHS to undermine the government whilst in opposition.

Unions will strike at the drop of a hat.

Class War activists will continue to play dirty.

Same old same old.

Talking of weaponising, how about looking at it from the other way around.

This from the Guardian:

Lest there be any doubt that the domiciliary or homecare sector is in crisis, consider this. The biggest provider in the £6bn market was already up for sale. Now its book value has been reduced by its present owners to nil – nothing, nada, zilch. In so far as homecare featured in the general election campaign, it was in respect of the sector’s questionable labour practices: heavy reliance on zero-hours contracts and low, occasionally illegally low, pay. We heard little or nothing about the centrality of the sector to any hope of making our health and social care system sustainable.

i.e. if your mother gets dementia and has to go into a home you can't rely on the NHS but the private sector is in deep sh*t, partly because it has been weaponised as well.