Some of England's best known hospitals are being given help by the government to open branches abroad to raise money for the NHS.

David Stout, deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, believes it is a "real opportunity" for the NHS which he says "has always been very well regarded internationally".

"If we can see the [National] Health Service as something that generates income as well as generates spend I think that's absolutely right," he told the Today programme.

"I don't think this is about distorting what the NHS has to offer UK citizens... this is about how we can exploit the brand of the NHS internationally," he said.

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