Healey calls for ‘radical surgery’ on health bill

Speaking at Unison’s national health conference today, shadow health secretary John Healey will urge Cameron to perform “radical surgery” on the health bill. Healey is expected to say:

“The Health Secretary was forced to the House of Commons yesterday, where he said he would now “pause, listen and engage” on the Tories NHS plans. Andrew Lansley has not been listening for nine months. The test now is whether David Cameron will recognise the very wide concerns, and respond with radical surgery to the Health Bill.”

“They failed to listen to concerns in 6000 responses to consultation. They failed to listen to the same concerns in rejecting over 100 Labour amendments to the Bill. So the “pause” looks suspiciously like a PR stunt to quell the coalition of criticism.”

“Andrew Lansley will look to turn this Tory pause into a positive for David Cameron. Labour will encourage patients, staff and the public to raise their voices and challenge the changes wherever and whenever the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Health Secretary go through the motions of “listening” in the weeks ahead.”