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A Tory minister has been accused of "lying" to the BBC's Question Time after claiming there are "more beds than ever" in the NHS.

Dominic Raab made the eyebrow-raising claim in a clash over the winter crisis that has forced 55,000 operations to be postponed.

He said there was "more money than ever", adding: "We've got more beds, more doctors, more flu vaccines available than ever before."

NHS England's own figures show there were 17,000 fewer beds available in the most recent three months than in April to June 2010.

The number of beds available overnight dropped from 144,455 to 127,614.

Labour frontbencher Dawn Butler told the minister: "You have to stop lying! Nobody believes it!"

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(Image: PA) (Image: BBC)

Labour MP Luciana Berger added: "Not true."

The panel show, filmed this week in Islington, north London, saw angry exchanges between Mr Raab and fellow panellists.

Comedian Nish Kumar said: "I'm sick of, every time I turn on my TV and there's a politician talking about the NHS, they all say the same thing - exactly what you said Dominic.

"'They do incredible work, we admire them so much - but we're not going to give them any money.'

"It's a simple solution, we've got to cough up and we need politicians to have the guts to say that."

And TV presenter Piers Morgan got into hot water with host David Dimbleby when he said "why don't we ask the audience?"

Mr Dimbleby snapped: "No! Go back to your show, you're not chairing this one!"