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Simon, I think you are mistaken. In 2013 NHS Property Services Ltd (company no 7888110) took on the function of property ownership from 161 predecessor organisations in the NHS. These were mainly the property of Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. This comprises around 10% of the NHS estate; the remaining 90% is held by other organisations.

There has never actually been an organisation called "the NHS". From inception it has been organised on a local level and indeed the NHS organisations of which there have always been hundreds often inherited public hospitals run by the County Councils (which themselves were probably former workhouses run by parish committees).

And from inception the structure and pattern has changed every time a politician looks at it and decides a tinkering will do.

Perhaps a future government will privatise it; perhaps not. I don't think it would be a good idea if they did. If I were in charge, for example, I'd renationalise the railways tomorrow afternoon. There are simply some things better provided for by the public sector.

But tin foil hat conspiracies that they're privatising the NHS because the logo on the sign outside of a GP somewhere changed from "Puddleborough NHS Services Trust" to "Riverlands NHS Property Management" really don't demonstrate anything.

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