Hospitals in England failing to offer secure care have tripled, says Labour

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham mentioned the figures were indisputable proof that the NHS was ‘heading critically downhill on this government’s watch’. Photograph: David Gadd/Allstar/Sportsphoto Ltd

Labour has released figures showing a threefold boost in the variety of hospitals in England criticised by the Care Quality Commission for not supplying safe care.

Labour mentioned that in the 12 months to March 2014 the CQC recognized 45 hospitals failing on the measure of delivering “secure and appropriate care”. Above the exact same period in the prior year only sixteen hospitals failed on this measure.

People 45 hospitals represented close to 20% of those inspected, Labour explained.

The party also explained that the number of hospitals criticised by the CQC for not possessing satisfactory numbers of employees had also elevated, from 14 to 32, in excess of the exact same period.

Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, mentioned the figures had been indisputable evidence that the NHS was “heading seriously downhill on this government’s observe”.

He also said: “What we are now seeing are the consequences of David Cameron’s disastrous selection to destabilise he NHS with an undesirable and unnecessary reorganisation.”

But the wellness secretary Jeremy Hunt stated that the figures were indicative of the government’s choice to make hospital inspections more rigorous: “Labour made the disastrous choice to abolish expert led inspections which we have now reversed. Inevitably when you impose a much more rigorous inspection regime you uncover far more difficulties but it is in the best interests of patients to acknowledge exactly where there is poor care alternatively of trying to cover it up.”

The row erupted after Hunt used an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr display to all but confirm that a potential Conservative government would proceed to ringfence NHS spending.

Asked if the policy of NHS ringfencing would proceed beyond 2015, Hunt stated: “We have currently shown our instincts on that, if I can put it that way, by continuing to protect the NHS spending budget into the following monetary year [2015-sixteen].

“I consider David Cameron and George Osborne are passionate about creating confident the NHS continues to deliver for the British men and women and they comprehend the pressures it is underneath.”

On the programme, Hunt also announced that the government was setting a central procurement checklist for the NHS to allow hospitals to make financial savings via the bulk buy of ordinary things of tools.

“Hospitals spend also a lot for some of the simple goods and services. That drives them mad,” Hunt said.

At the moment hospitals negotiate costs individually for products they require. Underneath the new technique, the NHS will negotiate centrally with suppliers.

The Department for Overall health estimates the move will conserve the NHS £500m by the end of 2015-6. It is component of a wider try to safe procurement financial savings in the NHS which will also see the appointment of a “procurement tsar”.

Hunt gave the example of paying on sterile surgical gloves and said hospitals could conserve up to 38% on the price they paid for the item if they switched from the industry leader to an alternative supplier.

Hospitals in England failing to offer secure care have tripled, says Labour