INTERNATIONAL inspectors should be brought in to compare the performance of the NHS in England and Wales, David Cameron said today in his latest Commons clash with Ed Miliband.

The Labour leader challenged Mr Cameron to defend the coalition's record on the NHS, insisting waiting times were going up and patients were suffering.

But the Prime Minister claimed his Government had a record to be proud of and told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions Mr Miliband was hiding from his own party's record in Wales, adding the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) was welcome to visit and compare them.

Mr Miliband launched his attack by highlighting claims by leading health organisations that health and social care systems were at "breaking point".

He asked the Prime Minister: "Why is that happening?"

Mr Cameron said the English NHS was treating 1.3 million more outpatients across six million appointments, seen to by thousands of additional doctors and nurses.

"A record we can be proud of," Mr Cameron said, adding: "Why? Because we invested in the NHS, they cut the NHS in Wales."

Mr Miliband said: "Everyone can see what you are doing - after five years in office, you can't defend your record on the NHS in England.

"Every time you mention Wales we know you are running scared of the NHS in England. In England, we have the highest waiting lists for six years, the longest waits in A&E for 10 years, the cancer treatment target missed for the first time ever, and millions of people can't get to see their GP.

"Won't you just admit this: the NHS in England is going backwards, isn't it?"

The Prime Minister said: "Let's have an OECD inquiry. I support it, do you?"

Mr Miliband said he was the one asking questions and it was the Prime Minister's job to answer them at the weekly joust.

The Labour leader said: "The whole country will have noticed you could not defend what is happening in the English National Health Service for which you are responsible.

"Why? Because four years ago you told us your top-down reorganisation would improve the NHS but now we know it is £3 billion down the drain.

"Will you now admit in public what you are saying in private? Your top-down reorganisation has been a total disaster for the NHS."

Mr Cameron hit back by saying he was "not only happy to defend our record on the NHS" and repeated his challenge for an inspection.

He said: "I want a comparison between the Labour NHS in Wales being cut, no targets met on cancer since 2008, on A&E since 2008. I want a comparison.

Mr Cameron said the Leader of the Opposition was "totally terrified of Labour's failures in Wales on the NHS".