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David Cameron rebuffs Labour calls to drop NHS bill Government defeat in Lords over Health and Social Care Bill
(40 minutes later)
David Cameron has rebuffed calls from Labour to axe controversial plans to overhaul the NHS in England. The government has lost a House of Lords vote on its controversial plans to overhaul the NHS in England.
Labour leader Ed Miliband told him the NHS bill was a "complete disaster" and every day he spent fighting for it, "trust in him on the NHS ebbs away". Peers backed an amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill - demanding mental health is made a higher priority - by a margin of four votes.
But the PM said Labour's opposition was more about propping up Mr Miliband's leadership than NHS reform. There will be up to 18 votes taking place on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the government has narrowly lost a vote on amending the bill in the House of Lords. Earlier, David Cameron rebuffed calls to drop the bill entirely, but Labour leader Ed Miliband described it as a "complete disaster".
The amendment - demanding that the health secretary ensures that mental health care is treated as importantly as physical health care - was proposed by Labour's Lord Patel, and passed by a margin of four votes. The href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/healthandsocialcare.html" >Health and Social Care Bill, which introduces the biggest shake-up since the founding of the NHS in 1948 and would put GPs in control of much of the NHS budget, returned to the Lords on Wednesday.
The href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/healthandsocialcare.html" >Health and Social Care Bill introduces the biggest shake-up since the founding of the NHS in 1948 and would put GPs in control of much of the NHS budget. The legislation is opposed by Labour and has come under fire from several Liberal Democrat and independent peers, meaning it could have a difficult time getting through Parliament.
But there has been speculation about Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's position, amid much opposition to the plan from medical professionals - including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing. 'Opportunists'
At prime minister's questions, Mr Miliband joked it was "nice to see him" in his seat, adding "some distance away I notice", as the health secretary smiled from the government benches. The government has offered more than 100 concessions in an effort to get the bill passed, but opponents say it should be dropped in its entirety.
But Mr Cameron said his health secretary's career prospects were "a lot better" than those of the Labour leader. Several peers from across the political spectrum have proposed their own amendments too.
Mr Miliband asked why the government was not listening to health professionals who have come out against the bill and told Mr Cameron: "You know, in your heart of hearts, this is a complete disaster, this bill." The first of these - demanding that the health secretary ensures that mental health care is treated as importantly as physical health care by the NHS - was put forward by Labour's Lord Patel, and passed by a by 244 votes to 240.
Several more amendments - all discussing the powers and responsibilities of the health secretary - will be debated and voted upon on Wednesday.
Opposition to the bill from medical professionals - including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing - has led to speculation about Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's position.
At prime minister's questions in the House of Commons, Mr Miliband told Mr Cameron: "You know, in your heart of hearts, this is a complete disaster, this bill."
Referring to a critical article on the Tory Reform Group website saying: "It comes to something when even the Tories don't trust the Tories on the NHS."Referring to a critical article on the Tory Reform Group website saying: "It comes to something when even the Tories don't trust the Tories on the NHS."
He said the prime minister had broken a pre-election promise not to have any "top-down re-organisation of the NHS" and told him: "Every day he fights for this bill, every day trust in him on the NHS ebbs away, every day it becomes clearer the NHS is not safe in his hands."He said the prime minister had broken a pre-election promise not to have any "top-down re-organisation of the NHS" and told him: "Every day he fights for this bill, every day trust in him on the NHS ebbs away, every day it becomes clearer the NHS is not safe in his hands."
He added: "Why won't he just give up and stop wasting billions and drop his bill?" But Mr Cameron said Labour had previously supported NHS reform - and would not match government commitments on NHS spending: "They are not in favour of the money. They are not in favour of the reform. They are just a bunch of opportunists."
But Mr Cameron said Labour had previously supported NHS reform - and would not match government commitments on NHS spending: "They are not in favour of the money, they are not in favour of the reform - they are just a bunch of opportunists."
He criticised Labour's record on the NHS in Wales - where the party controls the Welsh Assembly - and said the coalition was cutting bureaucracy and ploughing money back into patient care.He criticised Labour's record on the NHS in Wales - where the party controls the Welsh Assembly - and said the coalition was cutting bureaucracy and ploughing money back into patient care.
He said of Mr Miliband: "This is not a campaign to save the NHS, this is a campaign to try and save his leadership. I make this prediction, the NHS will go on getting better and his prospects will go on getting worse." He said of Mr Miliband: "This is not a campaign to save the NHS. This is a campaign to try and save his leadership. I make this prediction, the NHS will go on getting better and his prospects will go on getting worse."
'Squeezing out' patients'Squeezing out' patients
The Tory Reform Group later accused Mr Miliband of a "complete misrespresentation" of their position - as the blog post was written by an independent contributor and it said it remained a "staunch supporter" of the proposals. The Tory Reform Group later accused Mr Miliband of a "complete misrepresentation" of its position - as the blog post had been written by an independent contributor and it said it remained a "staunch supporter" of the proposals.
As the session was under way in the Commons, the Faculty of Public Health became the latest healthcare body to call for the Bill to be dropped, "in the best interests of everyone's health".As the session was under way in the Commons, the Faculty of Public Health became the latest healthcare body to call for the Bill to be dropped, "in the best interests of everyone's health".
Labour opposes plans in the bill to let hospitals raise raise up to 49% of their income from private patients, as long as it is then spent on the NHS. But 54 NHS Trust directors have backed the plan in a letter to the Times, saying there are "sound medical and clinical reasons" for it.
Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham told the BBC ministers were essentially telling hospitals they had to raise their own money, which would "squeeze NHS patients out".
But 54 NHS Trust directors have backed the plan in a letter to the Times.
Professor Martin Elliott, co-medical director at Great Ormond Street, Mike Marrinan, medical director at King's College Hospital foundation trust and 52 others wrote to the newspaper saying there were "sound medical and clinical reasons" for it.
On Tuesday Downing Street said Mr Lansley had the prime minister's "full support" - following an anonymous quote in the Times, attributed to a Downing Street source, suggesting the health secretary should be "taken out and shot" over the policy.On Tuesday Downing Street said Mr Lansley had the prime minister's "full support" - following an anonymous quote in the Times, attributed to a Downing Street source, suggesting the health secretary should be "taken out and shot" over the policy.
It was even suggested that the former Labour Health Secretary Alan Milburn might be given a peerage and then take over from Mr Lansley.It was even suggested that the former Labour Health Secretary Alan Milburn might be given a peerage and then take over from Mr Lansley.
But Mr Milburn told BBC Radio 4's World at One there was "fat chance" of that happening.But Mr Milburn told BBC Radio 4's World at One there was "fat chance" of that happening.
He added: "There might be a demand side. You'll have to ask Number 10 about that. But there certainly isn't a supply side, at least as not as far as I'm concerned."He added: "There might be a demand side. You'll have to ask Number 10 about that. But there certainly isn't a supply side, at least as not as far as I'm concerned."
He said the bill showed ministers had "lost their nerve" on NHS reform and that its plans would not help devolution, as had been promised.He said the bill showed ministers had "lost their nerve" on NHS reform and that its plans would not help devolution, as had been promised.
The government has tabled 137 amendments to the bill in recent days to try to head off a rebellion by Lib Dem peers.
Among concessions have been strengthening the accountability of the health secretary, which peers will discuss on Wednesday. The amendment promises to guarantee "beyond doubt" the health secretary's duty to keep the overall NHS intact.
Some Liberal Democrat and independent peers have also demanded changes to the bill - which has already been "paused" once, following Lib Dem opposition at the party's spring conference last year.
Mr Lansley has said the government is carefully listening to medical professionals and patients and the amendments "address the remaining issues" concerning some peers.