Ben Bradshaw, Labour's Health Minister, said today on the Tories' attempts to stop more evening and weekend GP opening hours and polyclinics:

"David Cameron's Tory Party haven't learnt the lessons of their last health service blunder. Once again, their claims and allegations are just shallow salesmanship and don't stand up to scrutiny.

"David Cameron can't divert attention away from the fact that the Tories would reverse the agreement Labour has secured for evening and weekend GP opening hours, this in the year of the NHS' 60th birthday. 6.5 million patients want better access to a GP, but families with busy lives will see that the Tories are firmly on the wrong side of the argument on health.

"GP-health centres are fully funded and people won't have to switch doctors to go to one. NHS London's local plans have been developed by 500 clinicians and the NHS in London and there are no plans to impose an identical model across the country.

"Patients don't have to leave their existing GP to see a doctor at a health centre. Labour has increased family GPs' practice budgets significantly and a small number of patients choosing to register elsewhere would not threaten a successful GP practice."