Burnham slams Lansley over “political opportunism”

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Responding to Andrew Lansley’s announcement that mixed-sex hospital wards would be closed, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham retaliated, calling it “political opportunism”, since Labour had already achieved much of this already – and Lansley’s announcement will actually make improvements more difficult. Burnham said:

“This hollow announcement is an attempt by Mr Lansley to claim credit for something Labour has done and the media shouldn’t fall for it. Labour’s Privacy and Dignity Fund drove improvements so that 95% of hospitals already provide single sex accommodation and a financial penalty already applies.”

“There is nothing new in Mr Lansley’s announcement except that he has made improvements more difficult by imposing a top-down politically motivated moratorium on service changes. This announcement is nothing more than political opportunism and patient groups have already seen through it.”