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Wales NHS: Labour accuses Tories of 'dirty tricks' Wales NHS: Labour accuses Tories of 'bully boy attacks'
(about 1 hour later)
A "dirty tricks" campaign over the Welsh NHS is being waged by the Conservatives, a Labour AM has claimed. The Conservatives have been condemned for "bully boy attacks" on Welsh Labour's running of the NHS in Wales.
Pontypridd AM Mick Antoniw accused the Tories and the Daily Mail of a "conspiracy" to denigrate Welsh Labour by selective use of statistics. Health Minister Mark Drakeford said criticism fuelled by the national press was "nakedly political" and "severely damaging" to staff morale.
He accused UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of "political interference" over a planned UK-wide health service review. UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has claimed patients in Wales were getting a "second-class" service.
But Monmouth MP David Davies said Labour was trying to block the review which has not yet looked at Wales. But Mr Drakeford told The Guardian newspaper Labour would "set the record straight point by point".
The latest political row over the Welsh NHS broke out on Monday following claims by the Daily Mail that the NHS in Wales was in "meltdown". "Nobody should go away with the idea we are some kind of free hit," said Mr Drakeford.
A description of patients travelling from Wales to England for treatment as "refugees" by Monmouth Conservative MP David Davies was also condemned by the minister.
He said: "The notion that Welsh patients are not welcome in English hospitals is offensive."
Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb and his Labour shadow Owen Smith clashed in the House of Commons over the running of the NHS in Wales.
Mr Smith accused the prime minister and UK health secretary of "constitutional vandalism" in waging a "war on Wales" by criticising the Welsh government's record on the health service.
Mr Crabb told him the NHS was "the number one issue for the people of Wales" and it was wrong for Labour to try to shut down debate on it.
He said Mr Drakeford "needs to get a grip and get on top of this issue".
'Tissue of lies''Tissue of lies'
It developed into a war of words between the Welsh and UK health ministers. The latest political row over the Welsh NHS broke out on Monday following claims by the Daily Mail the NHS in Wales was in "meltdown".
Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford accused the Conservatives of telling a "tissue of lies" about the state of the Welsh NHS, after UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the House of Commons that patients in Wales were getting a "second-class" service. It developed into a war of words between the Welsh and UK health ministers in a terse exchange of letters.
Mr Drakeford also accused Mr Hunt of intending to "quote selectively" from a planned review of NHS services across the UK by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Mr Drakeford accused the Conservatives on Tuesday of telling a "tissue of lies" about the state of the Welsh NHS.
He also accused Mr Hunt of intending to "quote selectively" from a planned review of NHS services across the UK by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The survey has been commissioned to compare the health services of the four UK nations and is scheduled for release in February 2015.The survey has been commissioned to compare the health services of the four UK nations and is scheduled for release in February 2015.
Mr Drakeford wrote to Mr Hunt saying the Welsh government might consider commissioning its own report from the OECD instead unless Mr Hunt ended his "attempts to subvert the process". Mr Drakeford wrote to Mr Hunt saying the Welsh government might consider commissioning its own report from the OECD instead, unless Mr Hunt ended his "attempts to subvert the process".
But Mr Hunt said the findings of the OECD should not be withheld from the public.But Mr Hunt said the findings of the OECD should not be withheld from the public.
"I believe we owe it to taxpayers who fund the NHS to show we are willing to learn from other parts of the UK as to where our performance can be improved," he wrote in reply to Mr Drakeford."I believe we owe it to taxpayers who fund the NHS to show we are willing to learn from other parts of the UK as to where our performance can be improved," he wrote in reply to Mr Drakeford.
Mr Antoniw told BBC Wales on Wednesday: "This is really just part of a dirty tricks campaign by the Tory party in conjunction with the right wing Daily Mail. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams also criticised Mr Hunt for suggesting English hospitals were not paid for treating Welsh patients.
"Anyone would think there are queues of people with their luggage on carts heading for England for treatment in the health service there - we know that is strictly not true." In a letter, she said: "In terms of payment, you will be well aware that all treatment received by Powys patients in Hereford is then paid for Powys Teaching Local Health Board.
"There should be no inference whatsoever that any of my constituents are receiving or expecting to receive treatment that is not then paid for."
Welsh patients actually helped sustain services at the County Hospital in Hereford, she added.
'Interference'
Pontypridd AM Labour Mick Antoniw accused the Conservatives of waging a "dirty tricks campaign" in conjunction with the "right-wing" Daily Mail.
He defended Welsh Labour's threat to order its own report from the OECD on the grounds of "political interference" in the process by Mr Hunt.He defended Welsh Labour's threat to order its own report from the OECD on the grounds of "political interference" in the process by Mr Hunt.
But Monmouth Conservative MP David Davies claimed Labour were trying to block publication of a report which he said would reflect badly on the party.But Monmouth Conservative MP David Davies claimed Labour were trying to block publication of a report which he said would reflect badly on the party.
He said the Tories would like to see the OECD report come out "as quickly as possible and preferably ... before the election so we can examine Labour's claim to be the party of the NHS". He told BBC Wales on Wednesday the Tories would like to see the OECD report come out "as quickly as possible and preferably ... before the election so we can examine Labour's claim to be the party of the NHS".
He added: "Labour made it a political issue with their attacks on the NHS in England but no-one suggested they were undermining doctors and nurses - I think it's outrageous for them to try and deflect blame."
On Wednesday, the Daily Mail said patients in Wales were dying waiting for treatment, and claimed nearly 1,400 patients in Wales waited at least a year for an operation, compared to under 600 in England.On Wednesday, the Daily Mail said patients in Wales were dying waiting for treatment, and claimed nearly 1,400 patients in Wales waited at least a year for an operation, compared to under 600 in England.
In response, the Welsh government said the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment had fallen by 90% since 2000.
However, the paper's consultant editor Andrew Pierce said the state of the NHS in Wales was "shocking" and it was doing its job by challenging the Welsh government on the issue.
Meanwhile a nurses' leader has said that political infighting over the NHS in Wales was putting patients and staff at risk.Meanwhile a nurses' leader has said that political infighting over the NHS in Wales was putting patients and staff at risk.
Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, said that to have politicians "scaremonger" about the standard of service within the NHS in Wales was "not wanted".Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, said that to have politicians "scaremonger" about the standard of service within the NHS in Wales was "not wanted".
The Welsh NHS Confederation asked for a "sense of perspective", saying a "significant majority" of patients received good care.
It said the health service needed support, including "constructive criticism" from politicians, the media and others.