The Health Select Committee has launched an inquiry to find out "if the NHS has been sold off, and if so by whom".
The committee has widened its annual public health spending inquiry to look into how money is shared across the health and care system.
And the committee will also be looking into the extent of financial challenges facing the NHS and social care.
The Health Select Committee has launched an inquiry to find out "if the NHS has been sold off, and if so by whom".
The committee has widened its annual public health spending inquiry to look into how money is shared across the health and care system.
And the committee will also be looking into the extent of financial challenges facing the NHS and social care.
The Health Select Committee will be examining the "history and extent" of private, voluntary sector and social enterprise involvement in the NHS and social care alongside the evidence for their quality and patients experience."
The wider effects of competition will also be examined, including the potential impact of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of the committee said: "Following years of minimal growth in health budgets and cuts to those in social care, services are under great strain at a time of unprecedented and escalating demand.
"Has the NHS been sold off and if so by and to whom? Has it remained true to the underlying and legally binding principle that the NHS is free at the point of use, based on need and not ability to pay?
"We aim to examine how the financial cake is divided across the NHS and social care as well as how the drivers within the system affect the delivery of care. We will also examine the future funding options for health and social care including international comparisons and the consequences of continuing the current financial squeeze on services for the people who depend on them.”
The committee is calling for evidence from organisation on the pressures they are currently facing – such as the financial position of clinical commissioning groups.
The impact of the Better Care Fund on the health and social care system will also be examined.
