Richard Madeley in furious clash on Good Morning Britain as he’s accused of ‘demonising’ the NHS

RICHARD Madeley was accused of “demonising” the NHS in a fiery argument on Good Morning Britain.

The presenter suggested the healthcare service needed to be overhauled after Dr Hilary Jones said it was “heading towards a crisis”.

Richard Madeley had a row on today’s Good Morning Britain

Richard said: “Based on everything you’ve said, do you feel we’ve reached the point where this great sprawling web we call the NHS, wonderful though it is, needs root and branch reform. That we need to clear all this up in one big service.”

Daily Mirror’s Kevin Maguire jumped in, arguing back: “It’s very pejorative to call it a big sprawling web. That’s how people begin to demonise it and run it down.”

He continued: “I’m not going to apologise for mistakes that happened in Shrewsbury and Telford in maternity services, but it’s a precious public service.

“It’s a matter of life and death for some people. I’m not going to say it’s all run well, but you need it.”

He then added to Richard: “I just think your language there demonises it.”

Refusing to back down, Richard replied: “If somebody like me, without an agenda, is going to say, is it time we took a root and branch look at how it’s funded, to then say that’s demonising the NHS shuts down discussion.”

Last week’s Shropshire baby death scandal exposed massive failings in the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.

And England’s health watchdog has found that two in every five maternity units are potentially unsafe.

From Wednesday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid will have £12billion more to spend on the NHS.