The Government has been accused of ‘bullying’ healthcare professionals who speak out against the NHS reforms after a senior doctor who signed a letter criticising the health bill was threatened with disciplinary action.

RCGP chair Dr Clare Gerada has accused Prime Minister David Cameron of ‘shooting the messenger’, after GP leaders who are critical of the Government’s NHS reforms were excluded from a Downing Street summit today.

The RCGP has launched another survey of its members to test the water on whether to call for the Health and Social Care Bill to be withdrawn, in what its chair Dr Clare Gerada called a ‘critical moment’ for the College and general practice.

The Labour Party has held a meeting of senior GPs and medical leaders to ask for their support for a ‘plan B’ for the NHS, to scrap the health bill and avoid mass upheaval to the health service.

Exclusive A flagship Government initiative spearheaded by Lord Darzi and designed to sell health expertise abroad has failed to secure a single contract in the 18 months since its launch, Pulse can reveal.

Patients experiencing waiting times of over 18 weeks from referral to treatment rose nearly 50% year on year in August 2011, new Government figures reveal.

New shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has offered to support clinical commissioning within existing PCT structures if the Government agrees to dump the health bill.

Andy Burnham has been appointed the Shadow Secretary of State for Health in a resuffle of the shadow cabinet.