Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of breaking the NHS in a way that is “unforgivable” as the government prepares to publish a damning report on the state of the health service.
The prime minister said the Tories began draining money from the NHS after coming to power in 2010 and pursued a series of “hopelessly misconceived” reforms.
With a “warts and all” review by former health minister and surgeon Ara Darzi set to report on Thursday, Sir Keir said it will show the NHS has been left in an “awful position” by the last government.
In his first major TV interview since becoming prime minister, he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “Everybody watching this who has used the NHS, or whose relatives have, know that it’s broken, they know that it’s broken, that is unforgivable, the state of our NHS.”
He added: “The money that was taken out of the NHS, particularly in the early years of the coalition from 2010 onwards, the Lansley reforms, which were hopelessly misconceived.. and then of course Covid on top of all that, which has put us in this awful position for the NHS.”
The Lansley reforms led to the complete overhaul of the management and bureaucratic structure of the NHS, while also placing a stronger emphasis on competition and markets in the provision of care.
But they coincided with a time of rising pressure on hospitals and GPs from an ageing and growing population, as well as a dramatic slowdown in government funding.
Health experts have said the reforms were “damaging and distracting” for the NHS and contributed to major crises in the service.
Lord Darzi’s report is expected to lay bare the scale of the crisis facing children’s care in the NHS, finding that “too many are being let down”.
It will highlight 100,000 infants who were left waiting more than six hours in A&E departments last year, as well as a 60 per cent rise in waiting times for infants since 2010, with around 800,000 children and young people on NHS waiting lists. Of those, 175,000 are waiting between six and 12 months while 35,000 have been waiting more than a year.
Lord Darzi, who was made a minister in DHSC in 2007 as part of Gordon Brown’s attempt to form a “government of all the talents” (Goat), is also expected to highlight falling vaccination rates among children, growing ADHD prescriptions, and soaring numbers of hospital admissions for children and young people with eating disorders.
And, the report will show that children from the most deprived backgrounds are twice as likely to be obese by reception age.
Sir Keir’s interview is the PM’s latest attempt to highlight the dire inheritance Labour received when taking power from the Conservatives.
He told the BBC: “It’s the last government that broke the NHS. Our job now through Lord Darzi is to properly understand how that came about and bring about the reforms, starting with the first steps, the 40,000 extra appointments. But we’ve got to do the hard yards of reform as well.
“And as I say, I think it’s only a Labour government that can do the reform that our NHS needs, and we’ll start on that journey.”
Lord Darzi was commissioned to carry out his review by health secretary Wes Streeting in July, with Mr Streeting calling for “a full and frank assessment of the state of the NHS, warts and all”.
Elsewhere in the interview, to be broadcast on Sunday morning, Sir Keir will answer questions about the summer riots, the Grenfell tragedy, the government’s claims of inheriting a £22bn black hole, his upcoming visit to the White House and the name of Downing Street’s new cat.
Tory shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins said: “After 14 years in opposition, with time to think about the issues facing modern-day healthcare, Labour’s instinct is to politicise children’s health, rather than provide solutions and reform of our NHS.
“Labour knows that the Conservatives brought more doctors, more nurses and more investment into the NHS, including in mental health services, as well as long-term funded plans to reform the NHS and expand the workforce. We have always acknowledged that there are pressures, including the impact of social media on young minds, a growing reluctance in some parts of society to vaccinate children and an increase in diagnoses of ADHD. To find solutions to these issues requires serious and sober thinking, not headline chasing.
“Sadly, all Labour has done in health since the election is issue press releases, appoint cronies and give a budget-busting pay rise to striking junior doctors, with no plans for reform. I will work constructively with anyone who wants to improve our nation’s health; Labour should stop politicising our children’s health and the NHS if they are serious about reform.”