Survey of GPs on Health and Social Care Bill is devastating for Cameron and Lansley - Burnham

Published on Thursday, 12 January 2012 15:26

Posted by Scott Buckler

Andy Burnham MP, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, in response to today's RCGP survey on the Health and Social Care Bill, whose respondents called for it to be withdrawn, said

"These results are devastating for both David Cameron and Andrew Lansley. It is hard to see how they can possibly carry on with their Bill in the face such overwhelming professional opposition.

"As we approach the first-year anniversary of the introduction of this Bill into Parliament, it is clear that the Government's attempts to build a professional consensus behind it have abjectly failed. People will ask how can plans that were meant to be based around GPs possibly succeed when only two out of a hundred support them.

"The truth is that this is an illegitimate Bill. Nobody voted for it; the Coalition Agreement specifically ruled it out. Doctors, nurses and midwives don't support it.

"It is time for the Government to put this Bill out of its misery and accept our offer to develop GP-led commissioning through existing structures.

"This would save millions on the cost of reorganisation and would give the NHS the stability it desperately needs to focus on the financial challenge."