SHADOW Health Secretary Andy Burnham has condemned the Government for going ahead with a shake up of the NHS which he said was costing nearly £30 million in Bristol alone.

Mr Burnham visited Bristol recently as part of Labour's "Drop the Bill" campaign to stop the re-structuring programme going ahead.

He said Labour had discovered in an NHS document called Operating Framework that the cost of setting up the new structure would be £330 million in the South West and £28 million in Bristol.

He said: "These shocking new figures show the Government's reorganisation is costing the South West NHS even more than we first feared.

"It is scandalous that they are telling the local NHS to set aside £28m for their own reckless plans, when patients across the country are waiting longer for treatment and thousands of nursing jobs are being axed.

"David Cameron's reorganisation is hitting the NHS hard and costs are now topping £3bn across the country for the first time.

"The people of Bristol and the South West did not vote for it and our doctors, nurses and patients have already expressed huge concerns at the plans. Yet Cameron is ploughing on with his Health Bill, ignoring public and professional opinion. I want to see for myself the reality on the ground in the region and hear directly from staff so I can use their experiences to challenge this out of touch Government."

Mr Burnham and shadow health minister Jamie Reed took part in a work-shadowing session with staff at Bristol Children's Hospital before a campaign meeting at The Mede Learning and Community Centre in Knowle West.