We share Professor Stephen Hawking’s concern at changes being implemented to the NHS, most particularly the introduction of US-originated accountable care organisations (ACOs). These appear to be non-statutory, non-NHS bodies to run health and social services that could undermine the NHS’s fundamental principles. That the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and NHS England are doing this without primary legislation, proper public consultation or full parliamentary scrutiny adds to our concern. We support the CrowdJustice-funded legal action – www.crowdjustice.com/case/jr4nhs-round2 – by Professor Hawking and other prominent individuals (Report, 9 December) for a judicial review to stop the ACOs until these public and parliamentary procedures have been satisfactorily enacted.



Melvyn Bragg

Richard Eyre

David Lascelles

David Owen

Jonathan Pryce

Ken Loach

Rebecca O’Brien

Paul Laverty

John McCarthy

Alan Bennett

Helena Kennedy

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters