THE NHS would 'implode' if the controversial Health and Social Care Act was repealed and not replaced with an alternative reform, Stockton South MP James Wharton told a group of constituents who delivered almost 700 letters from people fearing privatisation.

People's NHS campaigners have asked him to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to use his veto in Europe to protect the NHS from, what they claim, is a dangerous EU-US trade deal.

However, the Conservative MP said he supported the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) as it should deliver a boost to the UK economy.

"In principle I think TTIP is a good thing," Mr Wharton said. "If TTIP changes so it had an impact on the NHS then I would be sceptical about that. The chief negotiators say and ministers say that TTIP will not be a backdoor sell-off of the NHS."

He added: "I am 100 per cent committed to the NHS, but will not exclude private provision for some areas of healthcare."

He told the eight people at his constituency surgery held at Yarm Library this evening (Friday) that the NHS would 'implode' if the Health and Social Care Act, which which was the biggest shake-up to the health service since its inception, was repealed and not replaced.

"The whole system was creaking at the seams before and if it was repealed it would collapse," he said.

The People's NHS North-East co-ordinated a protest in the Stockton South suburb of Hartburn earlier this week when, backed by residents in five streets, they erected mock hoardings with the slogan 'stop the sale' in the gardens of numerous homes.

They claim since the Health and Social Care Act was introduced in 2012 almost 70 per cent of NHS contracts put up for tender have gone to the private sector.