Miliband wants NHS staff to blame Ministers

In a speech to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) conference in Harrogate, he launched a Labour initiative called NHS Check which will allow people to report issues affecting hospitals, clinics and family doctors arising from Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s shake-up.

Mr Miliband, who won two standing ovations, hailed nurses as “the defenders of the health service” against market-oriented reforms which he said would divert resources from front-line care and lead to fragmentation and longer waits for treatment.

After Mr Lansley was heckled and jeered by RCN members on Monday, Mr Miliband accused Ministers of refusing to listen to legitimate concerns, saying they had “ploughed on regardless”.

“The Government have been acting like they are the masters, not the servants, of the NHS. They are not the masters. Not this government. Not any government,” he said.

“Our health service is owned by patients, professionals and the people. And their voice – your voice – deserves to be heard.”

Mr Miliband said he wanted to “forge a partnership” with the RCN to address the long-term challenges facing the NHS.

Cheers and applause rang out through the auditorium as the Labour leader said: “Britain would not be getting out of bed in the morning if it wasn’t for our NHS. As a country, let’s celebrate the values of our NHS. Let’s celebrate the people who work in our NHS. Let’s celebrate that we have an NHS.

“And let’s together make sure we protect, improve and modernise our NHS so it’s fit for the future.”

When asked how he would reduce costs, Mr Miliband said: “The first thing I would do is not waste billions of pounds on this reorganisation. It’s totally undermining the principles of the NHS.

“It’s only stubbornness, obstinacy and ideology that’s making this Government carry on.”

Mr Miliband said the next Labour government would have to “get to grips” with the issue of caring for the elderly and he had written to the Prime Minister asking him to work together.