Tory Trio 'Ring The Alarm Bell' On NHS Reform

Three Conservative Cabinet ministers have reportedly "rung the alarm bell" over Government NHS reforms - with one apparently comparing it to the poll tax.

Influential website ConservativeHome warned the controversial planned shake-up was "electorally fatal" and that most of the plans should be scrapped.

Its editor, Tim Montgomerie, argued the package of reforms had been David Cameron's "greatest mistake" - and said there was a feeling the Prime Minister "isn't listening" to the party.

And - speaking as a senior Lib Dem source told Sky News the Conservatives had "monumentally mishandled" the reforms - Mr Montgomerie added that anticipated budget pressures "will be blamed unfairly" on the overhaul.

Mr Montgomerie wrote in the blog: "Speaking to ConservativeHome, three Tory Cabinet ministers have now also rung the alarm bell.

"One was insistent the Bill must be dropped. Another said (Health Secretary) Andrew Lansley must be replaced.

"Another likened the NHS reforms to the poll tax. The consensus is that the Prime Minister needs an external shock to wake him to the scale of the problem.

"David Cameron's greatest political achievement as leader of the opposition was to neutralise health as an issue.

"The greatest mistake of his time as Prime Minister has been to put it back at the centre of political debate."

Mr Montgomerie told Sky News: "Either they have a humiliating month where they abandon this bill, or most of this, and that is my preferred option, not an easy option, or they carry on down the path that they're on... and for every problem that occurs in the NHS from now until the election to be pinned on this bill by Labour."

Political blog Guido Fawkes quoted 'friends' of Mr Lansley as hitting back at Mr Montgomerie - who previously worked as former Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith's chief of staff - over his comments.

"Tim's sole achievement in politics was to be chief of staff to the most unpopular leader in Conservative history, so forgive us if we don't take any lessons from him," the website reported the 'friends' as saying.

"He clearly wants to take the party back to the bad old days of constant infighting and no policy.

"He should stick to talking about gay marriage and leave serious issues like the NHS to the grown-ups."

Meanwhile, a senior Lib Dem source told Sky News: "The Tories have squandered the last few months, monumentally mishandling the health professions, so that the professions we got back on board are now peeling off.

"They are failing to show any resolve with their party and running around like headless chickens because they've messed up the politics so badly."

And health minister Simon Burns told Sky News: "We have listened to people who have come up with ideas to strengthen and improve the legislation.

"(This) is the best way and the right way forward to enable the NHS to meet its challenges."

The Government has already made more than 100 changes to the Health and Social Care Bill in the face of widespread criticism.

But the concessions have failed to quell critics, including a raft of medical professional bodies such as the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing.