Commons debates NHS failures

The political row between Labour and the Conservatives over 14 failing hospital trusts will continue for a second day in the House of Commons today.

Labour have tabled an Opposition Day motion which "recognises that the 14 Trusts investigated by Sir Bruce Keogh have seen increasing problems since May 2010".

It calls on the Government to publish the NHS transition risk register, which sets out the possible ramifications of the recent re-organisation.

The motion also states the Government's failure to implement key recommendations from a report earlier this year by Sir Robert Francis QC in to the horrific care standards at Stafford Hospital could make it more likely that there would be scandals at other hospitals in future.

The Keogh report's publication sparked furious exchanges about the NHS in the House of Commons earlier today.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt accused his Labour predecessor of ignoring warnings and suppressing bad news.

He said Labour had created a culture where targets mattered more than people.

In response, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused the government of playing politics with people's lives.

ITV News Political Editor Tom Bradby reports:

Read: Hunt - NHS culture changing

The Keogh report into failures in NHS care in countries across the country has ignited a fierce debate between the government and Labour.

Read: Patient charity: Keogh report 'too late'

The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says it amounted to "Labour's darkest moment", but his predecessor Andy Burnham accused the Government of "playing politics with people's lives", as Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports.

Read: Parties clash over NHS records in light on Keogh report

Ministers have faced renewed calls for minimum staffing levels in hospitals after an NHS review found staff were too busy to deliver compassionate care to patients.

Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said:

A patient safety charity said hospitals criticised in Sir Bruce Keogh's NHS review should have been investigated "years ago".

Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents, said:

More: The 11 hospital trusts placed in 'special measures'

David Cameron said the NHS was "completely safe" in the Government's hands after 11 failing hospitals were placed under "special measures" management.

Speaking after Sir Bruce Keogh's damning review of hospitals, the Prime Minister said: "I think everyone can have confidence in the NHS and everyone can have confidence that their local hospital either is a good hospital or is being turned around and being made into a good hospital.

"There is much to celebrate in our NHS and I love our NHS, and I never want to do it any harm, but we don't serve our NHS by covering up problems and difficulties and clearly there are some hospitals with too-high mortality rates."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Keogh review showed the Conservatives had been trying to "exploit the problems of the NHS rather than solve them":

The Health Secretary has posted a tweet admitting things had "gone wrong" in the NHS, but he proclaimed that "transparency is disinfectant" after 11 hospitals were placed under "special measures" management:

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the review had found the NHS's reputation mattered more than individual patients and targets mattered more than people.