JEREMY HUNT was accused yesterday of trying to “undermine the founding principles of the NHS,” as a judicial review of reforms that would open up the health service to private companies began at the High Court.

The Health Secretary proposes to create so-called accountable care organisations (ACOs), which campaign group JR4NHS warns will make “radical and significant” changes to how services are commissioned and delivered.

They would create “a secondary, non-statutory, non-accountable decision-maker … which will be taking decisions about what will and will not be made available free at the point of use,” the court heard.