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David Cameron rejects calls to apologise for NHS A&E winter crisis Cameron accuses Miliband of seeking to ‘weaponise’ the NHS during election
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron has expressed regret that some people have received poor service in the NHS but resisted calls from Labour for him to apologise for the winter crisis in A&E. Ed Miliband has been forced on to the defensive over the NHS after he was accused by David Cameron of telling the BBC he would seek to “weaponise” the health service for political purposes during the general election campaign.
Ed Miliband challenged the prime minister over the rising number of people having to waiting in accident and emergency departments, including one person on a trolley who took to Twitter to appeal for medical staff. Labour, which has placed intense pressure on the government in recent days over what one Cabinet Office minister described as a crisis in the NHS, declined to deny that Miliband had likened his tactics to a military campaign.
He pointed out that Cameron had once promised not to return to the days when people had to wait hours for treatment, adding that it was disgusting that the prime minister had betrayed that trust. Cameron has been blaming patients rather than apologising to them, Miliband added. The prime minister accused Miliband of making a “disgusting” claim to the BBC’s political editor, Nick Robinson, that he would seek to weaponise the NHS. Weaponising describes the process in which a missile is armed with an explosive warhead.
Cameron is under severe pressure over the health service after A&E units recorded their worst ever performance in a week. There have now been at least 15 hospitals enacting emergency measures after a surge in demand, including Great Western hospital in Swindon, which was forced to treat patients in an emergency tent erected in its car park. Conservative campaign headquarters tweeted a link to BBC television footage in which Robinson said: “The [phrase] the leader uses in private is that he wants to – and I quote – ‘weaponise’ the NHS for politics.”
Asked whether he would admit it was a crisis, the prime minister would only say that the service was under pressure, caused by a higher number of patients seeking treatment. The prime minister raised the alleged remarks by Miliband as the Labour leader challenged him over the rising number of people having to wait in accident and emergency departments, including one person on a trolley who took to Twitter to appeal for medical staff. The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was later forced by his shadow, Andy Burnham, to answer an urgent question in the Commons.
Cameron told MPs: “The leader of the opposition apparently said to the political editor of the BBC: ‘I want to weaponise the NHS.’ I think that is disgraceful. The NHS is not a weapon, it’s a way we care for our families, it’s the way we care for the elderly, it’s the way we look after the frail.”
Miliband retorted: “I’ll tell you what’s disgusting – it’s a prime minister who said people could put their trust in him on the NHS. You have betrayed that trust. You are in denial about the crisis in the NHS. This is a crisis on your watch as a result of your decisions. That is why people know if they want to get rid of the crisis in the NHS they have to get rid of this prime minister.”
Cameron said: “If ever you wanted proof [Labour] want to use this issue as a political football you have just seen it.”
The Labour party later declined to deny that Miliband had made the remarks to the BBC. A spokesman said: “I am not going to comment on any private conversations.”
The spokesman confirmed that the NHS was a deeply political issue. “It is a political issue. This is about David Cameron’s failed politics.”
In challenging the prime minister over the NHS, as at least 15 hospitals in England decided to enact emergency measures after an increase in demand for accident and emergency services, Miliband pointed out that Cameron had once promised not to return to the days when people had to wait hours for treatment. Cameron has been blaming patients rather than apologising to them, Miliband added.
Asked whether he would admit it was a “crisis”, the prime minister would only say that it was “under pressure” caused by a higher number of patients seeking treatment.
“I deeply regret any patient who does not get a good service,” he said. “But let us be absolutely clear about the numbers in terms of people accessing A&E.”“I deeply regret any patient who does not get a good service,” he said. “But let us be absolutely clear about the numbers in terms of people accessing A&E.”
“Today, compared with four years ago, over 2,500 more patients are seen within four hours than four years ago. That is what is happening. “ “Today, compared with four years ago, over two and a half thousand more patients are seen within four hours. That is what is happening.”
He hit back at Labour, saying it was disgusting for the opposition to have told the BBC that it was hoping to weaponise the NHS during the election campaign by making it into a big issue. Cameron added: “The important point to make is this: the NHS is facing this winter with more doctors, more nurses and more money than it has ever had in its history.
During his weekly Commons clash with Miliband, Cameron said: “The important point to make is this: the NHS is facing this winter with more doctors, more nurses and more money than it has ever had in its history. “What is important is we recognise the pressures that are there and put in place plans for the short term, the medium term and the long term, but recognising with the massive increase in the number of people going to A&E (that) any health system in the world would struggle to cope with some of this pressure.”
“What is important is we recognise the pressures that are there and put in place plans for the short term, the medium term and the long term, but recognising with the massive increase in the number of people going to A&E that any health system in the world would struggle to cope with some of this pressure.” However, Miliband said it was wrong of Cameron to blame events beyond his control. “The pressures on A&E are not just happening on your watch but are a direct result of the decisions you have taken,” he said. “When you decided to close a quarter of walk-in centres, wasn’t it blindingly obvious if people couldn’t go to a walk-in centre, it would have a big impact on A&E?”
However, Miliband said it was wrong of Cameron to blame the service’s performance on events out of his control. Cameron then returned to his familiar accusation that Miliband was using the NHS as a political football. The Labour leader responded: “This is politics and he’s failed at it.”
“The pressures on A&E are not just happening on your watch but are a direct result of the decisions you have taken,” he said. “When you decided to close a quarter of walk-in centres, wasn’t it blindingly obvious if people couldn’t go to a walk-in centre, it would have a big impact on A&E?” Labour has called for an emergency summit on the winter crisis at hospital A&E departments but this has been rejected by a government spokesman.
Cameron then returned to his familiar accusation that Miliband was using the NHS as a political football. Labour later pointed out that Sam Gyimah, the Cabinet Office minister, had admitted that the NHS is in crisis. Speaking on the Daily Politics on BBC2, he said: “£700m was put into the NHS for the winter to help alleviate this crisis.”
The Labour leader responded: “This is politics and he’s failed at it.” Labour has called for an emergency summit on the winter crisis at hospital A&E departments but this has been rejected by a government spokesman.