Party leaders in Commons clash over future of the health service

The House of Commons tussle yesterday came as a group of GPs gave their strong backing to the reforms proposed by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, which will hand family doctors the power to commission treatment and services for their patients.

Mr Lansley’s reforms to the NHS in England are hanging in the balance after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg branded them a “disruptive revolution” and warned he would veto them unless there were significant amendments.

Mr Cameron promised “significant and substantial changes” to the reforms as a result of a listening exercise which he has ordered but Mr Miliband dismissed the exercise as “a sham”, quoting a letter from NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson to staff after the announcement of a pause in the legislation last month, telling them to “press on with implementation of the plan”.

The Labour leader was scathing about the Government’s efforts and said Mr Lansley – who was not present in the chamber – was being “dumped on” by the Prime Minister.

“Doesn’t this mess on the NHS tell us all we need to know about this Prime Minister?” he asked MPs. “He breaks his promises, he doesn’t think things through and then when the going gets tough, he dumps on his Minister.

“On a day when waiting lists are rising, it confirms what we know – you can’t trust the Tories on the NHS.”

But Mr Cameron dismissed Mr Miliband’s argument as “the product of empty opposition and weak leadership”, as the Labour leader himself accepted that sticking with the status quo in the NHS was not an option. He told MPs: “There’s only one party you can trust on the NHS and it’s the one that I lead.”

A group of 42 family doctors on Tuesday wrote to the Daily Telegraph urging the Government not to back down on Mr Lansley’s reforms.