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NHS Patients (Access to Medicines)

I understand my hon. Friend's concerns. This has been a difficult process because of the very strongly held views, as anyone will know who heard the debates on the radio or in this House, or the debates organised by the British Medical Association or the King's Fund. There are strong opinions on both sides of the argument. The evidence submitted by the Royal College of Nursing sticks in my mind. It made the point that the NHS is about providing services, not withdrawing them, and it made the cruelty case—it said there was a lack of clarity and a lack of charity in how the current arrangements applied. My hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) was the first person to raise this issue with me. He said to me a while ago, ““Look, we need to rethink this.”” I do not believe this is the thin end of the wedge for the NHS. I think carrying on with the previous system is what would endanger the principles of the NHS, because people saw it as dogmatic and ideological, and not in any way related to the person's individual needs. So I think this strengthens the NHS, rather than weakens it.