Andy Burnham MP, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, said in response to today's publication of the full legal ruling on the transitional NHS risk register:
"This important legal judgement is a damning indictment of the way the Government has conducted its re-organisation of the NHS. But it also raises more fundamental questions about this Coalition and its style of government. These serious concerns can't simply be swept aside just because the Bill has now been forced through.
"The Tribunal is scathing about the Government's failure to give an indication of its wide-ranging plans before its hastily drawn-up White Paper and its decision to implement them on the ground before a Bill was presented. It backs up Labour's contention that this arrogant approach to the re-organisation of our country's best-loved institution was nothing short of an affront to democracy.
"Coming on the back of today's revelations from the CQC, the questions about the way Andrew Lansley is running his Department are mounting. It dismisses arguments used by the Secretary of State in the emergency debate on the Transition Risk Register, raising a real concern that he misled Parliament.
"This Government has clearly not been honest with people about the risks it is running with our NHS. We know they were given serious warnings by civil servants from the outset but they ploughed on regardless. People will never forgive this Prime Minister for knowingly taking huge risks with the NHS when he promised to protect it.
"It is time for Government to do the right thing by the NHS. They must accept this ruling with good grace, publish the risk register in full and allow people to make their own judgements about whether the risks they are running with the NHS are justified."
