Clegg promises no ‘back-door privatisation’ in NHS reform

Speaking at Sheffield Children’s Hospital the Deputy Prime Minister repeated Government plans would change “significantly and substantially” in the face of opposition from medical staff.

Mr Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, made his comments after taking part in a “listening session” with staff at the children’s hospital.

He said: “No Government, particularly not one in which I am Deputy Prime Minister is going to make change without the consent of people in the NHS.”

Mr Clegg promised that private companies would not be allowed to “cherrypick the fruitiest and most profitable bits of the NHS” while leaving more difficult cases to the public sector.

The Liberal Democrat leader, who earlier this week claimed his party would be more “muscular” in Government, also said nurses should play a bigger part in making policy.

He said nurses were “at the heart and soul of the NHS and they should have a place at the table” but admitted he had not discussed his idea with Royal College of Nurses or any other body.

Mr Clegg added: “I haven’t spoken to them about it, I have just said it. It is not something I have worked up with the RCN, it is my own views. I have gone through the listening exercise.”

The Deputy Prime Minister also responded to accusations that his own unpopularity had contributed to the Liberal Democrats’ loss of Sheffield Council in the local elections last week.

He said: “The Liberal Democrats are not going to go away in this city. If you are in Government and you are doing unpopular things you are going to get flak.

“People will say they don’t like what you are doing but they don’t have a better alternative. There is a deep-seated complacency of the Labour Party in Sheffield which feels it has the right to run things by some kind of birthright.”