Alan Milburn, Labour's election organiser, is accused today by the Conservatives of putting votes before patient safety in the run-up to the last general election.
The former health secretary intervened to save a hospital in a key Labour marginal seat even though the health trust's chief executive warned there was a "pressing need" to transfer services on "clinical safety grounds".
Mr Milburn declined to comment on the allegations, leaving it to the Department of Health press office to respond. A spokesman said: " The then secretary of state took the decision in the best interests of patients."
The issue centres on his decision to halt the transfer of patient services from Crawley hospital to the East Surrey district hospital near Redhill.
The ban reversed a decision by his junior minister, Gisela Stuart, to go-ahead with the scheme two years earlier. It was lifted 15 months after polling day.
Crispin Blunt, Tory MP for Reigate, tried at the time to obtain details of the change of mind, but was denied the information. Mr Blunt said yesterday: "This is a shameful story of political interference in the management of health care for direct party electoral advantage. It was an utterly cynical decision to put people's lives at risk to assist the political fortunes of one Labour MP in a key marginal."
The delay meant that while maternity services had already been transferred to East Surrey, other services like gynaecology remained at Crawley.
The chief executive, Ken Cunningham, warned in a briefing note: "The initial transfer of services puts pressure on other related specialities to move to the East Surrey site at the earliest opportunity."
There were also questions about the adequacy of the accident and emergency unit at Crawley.
The issue caused a row between Laura Moffat, the MP for Crawley and four local Tory MPs who were not consulted about the change.
Now four years later, under the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Blunt has obtained the chief executive's confidential advice and the letter written by Sir William Wells, then chairman of the South East region of the NHS Executive, to Mr Milburn confirming the move to reverse the decision.
The correspondence shows that Sir William was aware that Ms Moffat was lobbying the health secretary to force the trust to halt the transfer.
His letter continues: " Although in practice there is little direct connection between the outcome of the review and the need to move emergency services in the short term, this is not understood by the public, and in particular by Laura Moffat's constituents, and as a consequence she has asked whether there could be some moratorium on service moves."
He then proposes a delay in any further transfer of services. Mr Milburn approved this. Since then the trust has run up large debts - and has a £20m deficit - partly because it had to run services on two sites for a longer than anticipated.
