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Milburn calls amended NHS plans 'a car crash' Milburn calls amended NHS plans 'a car crash'
(about 1 hour later)
The coalition's amended plans for the NHS in England are the "biggest car crash" in the service's history, a former health secretary has said.The coalition's amended plans for the NHS in England are the "biggest car crash" in the service's history, a former health secretary has said.
Ex-MP Alan Milburn, now David Cameron's social mobility adviser, said taxpayers faced writing "a very large cheque" as efficiency savings were unachievable.Ex-MP Alan Milburn, now David Cameron's social mobility adviser, said taxpayers faced writing "a very large cheque" as efficiency savings were unachievable.
Mr Milburn told the Daily Telegraph it was "short-term politics".Mr Milburn told the Daily Telegraph it was "short-term politics".
A Department of Health spokesman said Gordon Brown had blocked Mr Milburn's own efforts to reform the NHS.A Department of Health spokesman said Gordon Brown had blocked Mr Milburn's own efforts to reform the NHS.
Changes to the NHS plans followed rows between the Lib Dems and Conservatives.
The prime minister has agreed to make major concessions on his plans for the NHS in England, including more controls on competition and a slower pace of change, after criticism from Lib Dem MPs and unions.The prime minister has agreed to make major concessions on his plans for the NHS in England, including more controls on competition and a slower pace of change, after criticism from Lib Dem MPs and unions.
'Less reformist''Less reformist'
Mr Milburn, who as health secretary under Tony Blair came into conflict with then Chancellor Gordon Brown over the running of health services, wrote in the Telegraph: "The government's health reforms are the biggest car crash in NHS history.Mr Milburn, who as health secretary under Tony Blair came into conflict with then Chancellor Gordon Brown over the running of health services, wrote in the Telegraph: "The government's health reforms are the biggest car crash in NHS history.
"The temptation to elevate short-term politics above long-term policy proved too much for both David Cameron and Nick Clegg."The temptation to elevate short-term politics above long-term policy proved too much for both David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
"Many in both camps inside the coalition consider the U-turn a triumph. But it has the makings of a policy disaster for the NHS and, maybe in time, a political disaster for the government."Many in both camps inside the coalition consider the U-turn a triumph. But it has the makings of a policy disaster for the NHS and, maybe in time, a political disaster for the government.
An attack of this nature might be expected from a former Labour minister, but Alan Milburn has credentials as a reformer himself.
As health secretary a decade ago, he increased competition within the NHS. More recently, the coalition government appointed him to review their progress on improving social mobility.
So when he sticks the knife into David Cameron by saying he has set back radical, market-based reform of the NHS for a generation, he intends to wound.
Government sources say Alan Milburn himself failed to deliver sufficient reform and that many professional bodies support the coalition's evolutionary approach to changing the NHS.
"It leaves both health policy and British politics in a very different place.""It leaves both health policy and British politics in a very different place."
He added: "The promise of the coalition was that it would go where New Labour feared to tread when it came to public service reform. There would be no no-go areas.He added: "The promise of the coalition was that it would go where New Labour feared to tread when it came to public service reform. There would be no no-go areas.
"In fact David Cameron's retreat has taken his party to a far less reformist and more protectionist position than that adopted by Tony Blair and even that of his predecessor Gordon Brown.""In fact David Cameron's retreat has taken his party to a far less reformist and more protectionist position than that adopted by Tony Blair and even that of his predecessor Gordon Brown."
Mr Milburn described the new policy as the "biggest nationalisation since Nye Bevan created the NHS in 1948". Mr Milburn described the new policy as the "biggest nationalisation since Nye Bevan created the NHS in 1948" and said overall control had been handed to a body - the NHS Commissioning Board - which he described as "the daddy of all quangos".
Mr Cameron had handed over control to "the daddy of all quangos", the NHS Commissioning Board. Mr Milburn, who left Parliament at the 2010 election, said scrapping the 2013 deadline for giving GP consortia control of commissioning would result in a "patchwork of decision-making for years to come".
Mr Milburn said scrapping the 2013 deadline for giving GP consortia control of commissioning would result in a "patchwork of decision-making for years to come".
'Open goal''Open goal'
On the need to make £20bn in efficiency savings, he asked: "So how will the NHS books be balanced?On the need to make £20bn in efficiency savings, he asked: "So how will the NHS books be balanced?
"By the usual device which policy-makers have deployed every decade or so in the NHS. A very large cheque."By the usual device which policy-makers have deployed every decade or so in the NHS. A very large cheque.
"It was precisely the situation David Cameron and George Osborne were trying to avoid. Sorry George, but the cash you were saving in your pre-election Budget for tax cuts will now have to be spent on a bail-out for the health service.""It was precisely the situation David Cameron and George Osborne were trying to avoid. Sorry George, but the cash you were saving in your pre-election Budget for tax cuts will now have to be spent on a bail-out for the health service."
He described the current situation regarding public service reform as "an open goal for Ed Miliband's Labour Party". He described the current situation regarding public service reform as "an open goal for Ed Miliband's Labour Party" but warned the leadership about its own reaction to the NHS climbdown.
He added: "The temptation, of course, is for Labour to retreat to the comfort zone of public sector producer-interest protectionism - and there were signs of that in the party's response to the government's U-turn this week.He added: "The temptation, of course, is for Labour to retreat to the comfort zone of public sector producer-interest protectionism - and there were signs of that in the party's response to the government's U-turn this week.
"It would be unwise, in my view, for Labour to concede rather than contest the reform territory. It now has an opportunity to restake its claim to be the party of progressive, radical reform.""It would be unwise, in my view, for Labour to concede rather than contest the reform territory. It now has an opportunity to restake its claim to be the party of progressive, radical reform."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "Eight years ago Alan Milburn tried to reform the NHS but failed to deliver the progress necessary because he was blocked by Gordon Brown.A Department of Health spokesman said: "Eight years ago Alan Milburn tried to reform the NHS but failed to deliver the progress necessary because he was blocked by Gordon Brown.
"Other former Labour health ministers - and many professional bodies - support these reforms as a necessary evolution. We can't afford to miss another opportunity to improve the NHS.""Other former Labour health ministers - and many professional bodies - support these reforms as a necessary evolution. We can't afford to miss another opportunity to improve the NHS."