By IRNA,
London : Britain’s coalition government suffered a new blow to its controversial new health bill with nurses voting overwhelming to back a motion of no confidence in Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s handling of the proposed reforms.
Some 96% of 497 delegates at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) conference in Liverpool, north west England voted in favour of the no confidence motion in beleaguered Langley, who has spent the last five years working on the reforms.
Nurses were also angered by his unusual refusal to deliver a customary keynote speech to the annual conference following the government decision earlier this month to suspend the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill to listen to concerns about the plans.
The reforms, which give doctors more budget control powers in what many see as leading to the privatisation of the country’s health service, have faced opposition from other unions and patient groups, while parts of the changes have even been condemned by the British Medical Association.
With Prime Minister David Cameron expected to carry out a cabinet reshuffle in the summer, speculation is that Langley may be among ministers being moved out.
Cameron has been reported to be already under pressure to quell discontent in his Conservative Party over the competency of the coalition government after a series of policy blunders during its first year in office.