BRAZEN Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was scolded by left MP Dennis Skinner yesterday for repeatedly blaming NHS woes on the last Labour government.

The Bolsover MP reached boiling point after suffering an hour-long Question Time session marked by a host of blame-game excuses from Health Secretary Mr Hunt.

Amid Labour cheers, Mr Skinner complained that “in the last hour I’ve heard him and his ministers complain about problems with A&E departments, and I heard them talk about problems with GPs.

“Now we are hearing that they have lost control of care for the elderly.

“Instead of continuing to blame the last Labour government four years ago, why doesn’t he admit the NHS is not safe in his hands.

“Let’s have an election and get a Labour government!”

But Mr Hunt refused to relent, declaring: “We are making the NHS safe. We are taking action to deal with the issues that his government swept under the carpet.”

Amid Labour gasps, the cocky minister proclaimed: “The NHS is getting safer and more compassionate.”

Earlier, Labour shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Hunt of “living in a different world.”

People’s real experience was that it was getting harder and harder to get a GP appointment, said Mr Burnham.

Shadow health minister Liz Kendall took Mr Hunt to task for a “staggering” rise in agency staff costs at foundation trusts surging to £1.4 billion annually.

Mr Hunt retorted that trusts were simply “seeking to end the shocking understaffing of wards across the country which was endemic under the last Labour government.”