Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to leaked Department of Health documents revealing official concerns over Government plans for a 7 day NHS and identifying 13 major risk factors, including dangerous workforce overload, said:

“This is a shocking indictment of the Tory Government’s plans. They pressed ahead with their proposals even when campaigners and NHS staff argued they were unworkable.

"It has now been confirmed by the advice the Government received from its own civil servants.

"This is a scandal. The Government is undermining the NHS with plans it knew to be unworkable. 

"I will be writing to Jeremy Hunt to ask him to explain why he has contravened his civil servants advice and to ascertain whether he has misled Parliament.”