PMQs: Cameron defies NHS reform critics
By Alex Stevenson and Ian Dunt
The prime minister offered a spirited defence of the coalition’s health reforms in another noisy PMQs session this lunchtime.
Ed Miliband used all his six questions on the government’s plans to create a market dynamic in the NHS, which were defeated by the Liberal Democrats at their spring forum at the weekend and condemned by the British Medical Association yesterday.
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg shouted encouragement to David Cameron as the coalition’s leadership defended the proposals to establish GP consortia, which Mr Miliband claimed were “threatening the fabric” of the health service.
PMQs sketch: Robotic performances, but Miliband finds a weak spot
The prime minister said Labour was guilty of “cherry-picking” private sector interventions in the NHS and insisted price competition had already been ruled out. He accused the opposition of “jumping on every bandwagon”.
“We’re not reorganising the bureaucracy of the NHS – we are abolishing the bureaucracy of the NHS!” Mr Cameron added, to cheers from the Tory backbenches.
Mr Miliband responded by accusing the government of “arrogance” and “incompetence”. He defended Labour’s record of investment in public services before concluding: “You can’t trust the Tories on the NHS”.
Mr Cameron replied: “Isn’t it typical that just as he has to back every other trade union he just comes here and reads a BMA press release? How utterly feeble.”
Vocal support for Mr Miliband made the prime minister appear more than a little rattled, however, as pressure from the government backbenches continues to build.
Several Tory and Lib Dem MPs have signed amendments calling for the government to think again over health secretary Andrew Lansley’s plans.
Ten Lib Dem backbenchers and four Conservatives backed the amendments, which called on the government to listen to health experts’ criticism of the plans.
One amendment, which will be debated this afternoon, calls on the government to “listen to the concerns of patient groups, professional bodies and independent experts and work with them to achieve a strengthened NHS”.
Lib Dem MPs Tessa Munt, Andrew George, Martin Horwood, Mike Crockart and Stephen Gilbert backed that amendment as did Tory MPs Sarah Wollaston, Charles Walker, Douglas Carswell and Anne Main.
A further amendment, much more strongly worded, brands the reforms “damaging and unjustified”. It was backed by Lib Dems Greg Mulholland, David Ward, John Pugh, Ian Swales and John Leech.
