Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to the Department of Health’s confirmation that the NHS will miss the A&E target for the full 2014/15 year, said:

“This is a serious admission of failure by the Government. David Cameron has lost control of the things in the NHS that matter most to the public.

“He caused the A&E crisis by systematically dismantling GP services and elderly care and the result has been a devastating surge in patients coming to hospital A&E departments across England. The NHS as we know it can’t survive another five years of the Tories’ failing plan.

“Labour has a better plan, to invest in and improve our NHS, including a Time to Care Fund to recruit 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs, guaranteed GP appointments within 48 hours and cancer tests within one week.”