David Cameron: My hospital doctor brother-in-law's fears over NHS

David Cameron sparked fresh controversy over NHS reforms today by admitting his doctor brother-in-law has concerns about the shake-up.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Carl Brookes told the Prime Minister that the radical overhaul gave GPs too much power and risked hospitals losing out.

Mr Cameron revealed details of his discussions with Dr Brookes, who is married to his sister Tania, as he toured St Charles' Centre for Health and Wellbeing in Kensington.

"My brother-in-law is a hospital doctor and he says 'you're giving too much power to the GPs, and hospitals will be disadvantaged,'" the Prime Minister said. Sources close to Mr Cameron played down the concerns, saying the Prime Minister was using the complaint as an example of how he sought to allay fears about the flagship reforms.

Mr Cameron had conceded plans to hand GPs £80 billion of the NHS budget and increase competition needed to be better explained. The proposals in the Health and Social Care Bill have been criticised by unions and clinicians in recent weeks.

The Prime Minister insisted the changes were necessary because the NHS was becoming "increasingly unaffordable" as people lived longer and more complex and expensive drugs came on the market.

In a staunch defence of the overhaul, he said the "biggest risk" to the health service would be to do nothing. But opponents leapt on his admission that Dr Brookes, who consults at the Royal Brompton and Cromwell hospitals in London and the Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Trust, had raised doubts.

Shadow health secretary John Healey said: "This reveals just how far and wide the concerns are with the Tory-led Government's plans for the NHS.

"The Prime Minister's brother-in-law is no doubt one of the three in four doctors who don't believe this high-risk, high-cost reorganisation is going to improve services for patients."

Dave Prentis, general secretary of the Unison union, said: "David Cameron is always saying he will listen to the people on the ground, and now is his chance. The public don't want [this Bill], nor do staff."

Health workers protested outside Parliament as MPs debated the Bill for the first time today.

Under the proposals, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities will be disbanded and GPs will take over the responsibility for commissioning treatments.

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