Andy Burnham, Shadow health secretary, today initiated what he called the ‘mother of all battles’ to stop the NHS reforms mentioned in the coalition Government’s health white paper, saying that they will fatally compromise the role of the GPs.

Burnham is the person whose cabinet seat was taken over by Andrew Lansley and who is now contesting as a candidate in the Labour leadership election claimed the top-down reorganization represented a total U-turn by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government and wasn’t wanted either by parents or GPs.

Mr Burnham described the plans for GP consortia, while speaking at a meeting in Liverpool, as ‘a postcode lottery writ large’, warning: “The creation of hundreds of new, untested GP groups means variable service standards, access and quality depending on where you live.”

He said, “The role of GP as champion of their patient is compromised by their role as budget-holder. It is also the case that the GP will be both a provider and commissioner, placing a major conflict of interest at the heart of the NHS.”