Ex-Labour health secretary warns against increasing NHS spending without reform

Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn has warned the government against increasing NHS spending without accompanying reforms.

He told The Telegraph‘s weekly politics podcast that Boris Johnson should take note of the “mistakes” Labour made with the health system.

The government announced last month that £12 billion a year would be funnelled into the NHS, paid for by a 1.25% hike in National Insurance contributions.

Labour also announced a £12 billion uptick in health spending during Mr Milburn’s tenure as health secretary from 1999 to 2003.

Mr Milburn also said he would scrap plans enforced by former health secretary Matt Hancock, to grant the minister more sway over the health budget.