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Tory minister: Govt no longer has control of NHS after reforms

A Conservative public health minister has been secretly recorded claiming the Government no longer has "day-to-day control" of the NHS following reforms under former health secretary Andrew Lansley.

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Ministers 'can and do grip NHS system when needed'

The Department of Health insists ministers "can and do grip" the NHS system when they need to.

Conservative public health minister Jane Ellison was recorded at a private meeting saying the reforms had given away control of the NHS- a claim Labour used to accuse ministers of "washing their hands of responsibility" for the health service.

A Department of Heath spokesman said:

Giving operational control for the day-to-day running of services to doctors was the right decision - but we have always been clear that ministers are responsible for the NHS, and we are proud of its performance in challenging circumstances.

Ministers 'washing hands of their responsibility' for NHS

Labour has accused ministers of "washing their hands of responsibility" for the NHS, after a Tory health minister was recorded saying the government reforms had given away control of the health service.

Jane Ellison as recorded saying the government reforms had given away control of the NHS. Credit: PA

Jane Ellison compared changes to the NHS to being on a "high wire without a safety net", something she described as "exciting".

Shadow health minister Jamie Reed told The Observer that while Ms Ellison might find the newly-constituted NHS exciting, patients "in full-to-bursting A&E departments will not".

"Andrew Lansley's NHS shake-up was a £3 billion fiasco that nobody wanted and nobody voted for. All it succeeded in doing was in increasing bureaucracy and driving costs up. Now ministers are simply washing their hands of responsibility for our NHS," he added.

Read: NHS reforms 'gave away control' of health service

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NHS reforms 'gave away control' of health service

In the recording leaked to the Observer, Conservative health minister Jane Ellison said:

I don't know how much any of you realise that with the Lansley act we pretty much gave away control of the NHS, which means that the thing that most people talk about in terms of health, the NHS, we have some important strategic mechanisms but we don't really have day-to-day control.

From a political point of view, it is a bit like being on a high wire without a net at times, it can be quite exciting.

Read: Minister claims govt no longer has day-to-day control of NHS

Minister: Govt no longer has day-to-day control of NHS

A Conservative public health minister has been secretly recorded claiming the Government no longer has "day-to-day control" of the NHS.

Jane Ellison was recorded making the comments during a meeting of the Tory Reform Group. Credit: PA

Jane Ellison told a meeting of the Tory Reform Group that reforms under former health secretary Andrew Lansley meant the Coalition "pretty much gave away control" of the public health service.

In the recording leaked to the Observer, Ms Ellison compared the changes to being on a "high wire without a safety net" - which she described as "exciting".

The minister praised Lansley's successor Jeremy Hunt for doing a "brilliant job" and "turning the narrative round" to focus on patients and care.

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