PM standing firm on NHS shake-up

The prime minister remains convinced that reform of the NHS is needed

David Cameron will try to rally support for planned changes to the NHS in England, in a speech to health staff.

The prime minister is expected to focus on a need for “deep change”, warning of a “crisis” if reforms are blocked.

But he will also hint at some of the amendments that will be made as the result of a government consultation.

Plans to give GPs more control over budgets and boost the private sector role have angered some professionals and been criticised by Labour.

There is also political pressure in the coalition following significant unease within the Liberal Democrats. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has warned his party will block the Health and Social Care Bill unless it is altered.

In his address, Mr Cameron is expected to say: “We save the NHS by changing it. We risk its long-term future by resisting change now…

“It’s because I love the NHS so much that I want to change it. It needs to change to make it work better today and it needs to change to avoid a crisis tomorrow.”

Ministers promised “substantial” changes to the reforms outlined in thealth bill after calling a “pause” to its progress pending the results of a “listening exercise” involving patients, doctors and nurses.

Mr Cameron is expected to say that the “resounding message” from people he had met during the listening exercise was: “Yes, we love the NHS but yes, there are some real problems.”

He is also expected to say the NHS is providing the best service it ever has but there is waste and inefficiency and wide disparities of quality of service and of health outcomes across the country.

The prime minister will say that without changes, the NHS could face a potential funding gap of £20bn by 2015.

Labour has been seeking to exploit tensions in the coalition over the bill but Mr Cameron will stress that the plans will not be abandoned. He will also seek to quash opposition claims the reforms could lead to full privatisation of the NHS.

“Sticking with the status quo and hoping we can get by with a bit more money is simply not an option,” Mr Cameron will add.

“There’s only one option we’ve got and that is to change and modernise the NHS, to make it more efficient and more effective and above all, more focused on prevention, on health, not just sickness.”

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