NHS chief dodges Matt Hancock ‘hopeless’ spat after bombshell Cummings claims

BRUISED Matt Hancock was dealt another blow as the boss of the NHS refused to express confidence in him. 0:54 Sir Simon Stevens smiled but stayed tight-lipped when asked whether he thinks the Health Secretary is "hopeless". He was made to squirm on camera after being ambushed with the question during an interview about the jabs rollout. In text messages 'leaked' by Dominic Cummings this week the PM described Mr Hancock as "totally f****** hopeless". Sir Simon grinned awkwardly when asked about the remarks and whether he agreed with them. A press officer off-camera could be heard saying "we're not really going to answer that". The NHS chief then chimed in "I mean that's a political question" and stepped slightly out of frame. His media aide then added: "We didn't agree to this question." The tetchy exchange, caught on camera outside a hospital, will heap further pressure on the embattled Health Secretary. Mr Cummings claimed that the Health Secretary had tried to throw Sir Simon "under the bus" over shortages of PPE. Retweeting the clip, he said: "And he knows the Cabinet Secretary told No10 Hancock's claims are false, he's not telling the truth in these meetings." But ministers defended Sir Simon and said it was "unfair" to expect a civil servant to get involved in a political debate. Continue reading NHS chief refuses to say if he thinks Matt Hancock is ‘hopeless’ after bombshell Dominic Cummings claims https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1531516... From Brexit breaking news to HD movie trailers, The Sun newspaper brings you the latest news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world. Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: http://www.thesun.co.uk Like The Sun on Facebook:   / thesun   Follow The Sun on Twitter:   / thesun   Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat:   / 1633225139