Video : Watch Andrew George MP in Keogh Report debate 16th July 2013

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Andrew George (St Ives) (LD):

I welcome Sir Bruce Keogh’s important report. However, although I admire my right Hon. Friend, I totally dissociate myself from his ill-judged attempt to drag this important issue into the gutter of partisan politics and petty point-scoring. I expect better of him than that.

It is clear from annex A of the report that in all but one of the 14 hospitals, problems relating to staffing levels and the staff mix need to be addressed, and ambition 6 recommends action to address them. As my right hon. Friend knows, I campaign on this issue. What will the Government do to ensure that staffing levels are adequate in our acute hospitals?

Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary:

Tackling failure in our NHS is not an easy path to take, but it is the right thing to do for patients. If my Hon. Friend believes that all the care problems in the NHS started in 2010, I think he is the only Member who does. [Interruption.] Opposition Members must bear their share of the responsibility for the failures that they did not sort out. Staffing is indeed a problem that needs to be sorted out in many trusts, which is why we commissioned the review and why we are sending in turnaround teams to do just that.