THE Health and Social Care Bill is extremely worrying.

The Bill changes the role of the Secretary of State for Health, who will still have to promote a comprehensive health service, but removes the duty to provide or secure the provision of services for the purposes of the health service to one of tackling health inequalities and protecting and improving public health.

Monitor, the authoriser and regulator of NHS foundation trusts, will also change.

From being independent of Government and accountable to Parliament, it will become an economic regulator for NHS-funded health services with a duty to protect and promote the interests of people who use health care services, “by promoting competition where appropriate and through regulation where necessary” and “setting or regulating prices”.

Further, the Department for Communities and Local Government is discussing a role in regulating adult social care with regard to “potential anti-competitive behaviour”.

Respected bodies such as York Local Involvement Network (LiNKS) will be replaced by Local Health Watch, which will have a more market-based monitoring role.

David Cameron promised he would not mess with the NHS – he is doing exactly that.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Labour spokesperson for health, housing and adult social services.