PMQs: Miliband says NHS Bill is 'election burial'

Labour leader Ed Miliband has told the government it is "digging its own burial at the next election" through the planned shake-up of the NHS in England.

But David Cameron insisted there was support for the bill amongst health professionals, during prime minister's questions on 29 February 2012.

The two leaders clashed over who supported proposals in the government's Health and Social Care Bill during the weekly half-hour session.

Mr Miliband claimed that opposition to the proposed health reforms was growing.

He said former NHS chief executive and crossbench peer Lord Crisp had described the bill as "a mess" and "unnecessary" and said it was "setting the NHS back".

The Labour leader told Mr Cameron: "With every week that goes by, there are yet more damning indictments of your NHS Bill."

The prime minister defended the government's policy, telling the Commons that just 7% of GPs and 2% of physiotherapists had called for the bill to be dropped.

Mr Cameron added that 8,200 GP practices in England were "implementing the reforms, which is what they want to see happen".

The Health and Social Care Bill has encountered widespread opposition in Parliament, and is currently in report stage in the House of Lords.

It is designed to give health professionals more control over spending the budget, and aims to encourage greater competition with the private sector.