The Welsh NHS will not be up for sale as part of any new UK-US trade deal following Britain’s exit from the EU, the Welsh Government said today.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
In a joint statement, the Health Minister and International Relations Minister said the Welsh NHS would not be part of any US-UK trade deal.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said earlier today that he expected British health services would be “on the table” in future UK-US trade deals post-Brexit.
The NHS in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.
Minister for International Relations, who has responsibility for trade policy, Eluned Morgan said:
The Welsh NHS is a public service, and under this Welsh Government, will remain so.
I have made absolutely clear to the UK government’s International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, that devolution must be respected in any new trade deals post-Brexit. That includes the UK government respecting the Welsh Government’s determination to preserve the NHS as a public service.
So, there is absolutely no prospect whatsoever of us allowing the Welsh NHS to be part of any negotiation on a new trade deal with the USA. It is simply not going to happen.
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething added:
The Welsh NHS is a public service that was born in Wales, and it will remain a public service under this Welsh Government.
And in Wales, under this government, it will continue to be a much loved and cherished service that puts people, not profit, first.