The PM made the comments to the BBC ahead of the publication of the Darzi investigation into the NHS on Thursday.

Starmer said: ‘The last Government broke the NHS. Our job now through Lord Darzi is to properly understand how that came about and bring about the reforms started with reforms the 40,000 extra appointments.

‘We have got to do the hard yards of reform as well and it's only a Labour Government that can do the reform that our NHS needs.'

The Prime Minister said the NHS reforms pursued by former Conservative health secretary Andrew Lansley were ‘hopelessly misconceived'.

The report by Lord Darzi is expected to reveal that too many children "are being let down" by the health service.

Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘Labour's instinct is to politicise children's health, rather than provide solutions and reform our NHS.'

Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat deputy leader and health spokesperson, said: ‘Years and years of Conservative failure have brought the NHS to its knees.

‘From GPs to dentists and long waiting lists, our health and care services are broken and people are paying the price. 

‘We Liberal Democrats put health and care at the heart of our manifesto, we've called for an emergency health budget from this new Government and we'll be pushing them every step of the way to fix our NHS and social care services.'