Ed Miliband praises ‘value-for-money’ NHS

 
15 May 2012

Ed Miliband today hailed the NHS as Britain’s most “value for money asset”. He praised the health service’s “productivity” as Health Secretary Andrew Lansley seeks to push through £17.5 billion of efficiency savings.

He vowed that if Labour won power in 2015 it would repeal key parts of the Health and Social Care Bill which brings in more competition and hands GPs greater control over the £60 billion NHS commissioning budget.

In a speech to the Royal College of Nursing in Harrogate, the Labour leader struck a markedly different tone from Mr Lansley who was heckled by delegates yesterday.

“Too often we talk about the NHS as if it was merely a cost, a drain, an expense,” he was set to say.

“The NHS is not a burden on the taxpayer. It is the most productive, value for money, brilliant, asset that this country has.”

Mr Miliband is also opposing the Government’s plans for regional pay and promised “negotiation not confrontation” on pension reforms.

Attacking the Lib-Con coalition’s health reforms, he was due to add: “They 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.”

Mr Lansley has insisted that his reforms should improve health services, cut bureaucracy and make the NHS more locally accountable.

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