Jonathan Ashworth responds to the publication of the Health and Care Bill

“Only last week Sajid Javid was asking Downing Street to delay this unworkable bill that ushers in a top down reorganisation, but it’s now clear Boris Johnson overruled him.

“Patients will rightly ask why the Health Secretary is now embarking on a top down reorganisation of the NHS rather than resourcing the NHS sufficiently to bring down the record waiting lists for surgery, mental health and cancer care or giving our NHS workers the proper pay rise they deserve.

“Labour has long warned that the previous Lansley reorganisation was wasteful and forced the privatisation of health services. Now after a year when billions in taxpayers money has been handed out to Tory cronies for duff PPE and testing contracts, allowing further privatisation with no oversight will be resisted strongly by Labour.

“Every day frontline NHS staff are forced to spend on this top down reorganisation is a day less for the NHS to tackle waiting lists, work with local government to sort out social care, cope with Covid and prepare for one of the most challenging winters in living memory."