British patients died of poor care during ex-Labour govt.
Former British government under the Labour Party covered up appalling standards of care at failing hospitals, where patients died needlessly on filthy wards, it has emerged.
The then Labour government also placed œundue political pressure” on civil servants in an attempt to conceal failures as well as breaches of the Civil Service Code in the run up to the general election in May 2010, British media reported.
The revelations were made after internal emails released under Freedom of Information showed Andy Burnham, the then Health Secretary, was œfurious” when œgraphic details” of the care failings became public.
Separate emails indicated that Mike O’Brien, the former Labour minister of state for health, attacked the NHS watchdog at the time saying “anything you do is political” in the run up to the elections.
Now, Stephen Metcalfe, a Conservative MP, has called on Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, to launch a probe into the violations.
œI am deeply concerned that civil servants came under undue political pressure from the front bench Labour team and those associated with them, who were nervous about the proximity of the General Election. I ask you to investigate whether any breaches of the Civil Service Code took place”, Metcalfe told Heywood in his letter.
In November 2009, Labour Party sought to stop the NHS watchdog from informing the public about failings at Basildon University Hospital, where patients were dying.
œWhat it looks like from these press reports is that the last government wanted the NHS to be a good news factory in the run-up to the last election. I think that™s wrong”, said Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary.
MOL/HE
Copyright: Press TV