OUR NHS

It’s clear to everyone that the NHS is in crisis. Some people are having to wait weeks for a GP appointment, it’s virtually impossible to see an NHS dentist and young people have little hope of getting any support with their mental health. 

 

The Conservatives have plunged the NHS into crisis. They have run local health services into the ground, putting people, buildings and beds under immense pressure. With 112,000 staff vacancies in England alone, long waiting times, missed targets and poor outcomes, patient safety is being pushed into the danger zone.

 

All across South Devon NHS services are short of staff and under strain - I’ve spoken to people working in midwifery, radiography, speech therapy and they all say the same thing. The system is running on goodwill and that is running out.

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We are lagging behind comparable countries, from obesity to mental health and life expectancy we are doing far worse than we should. 

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Liberal Democrats believe that people should be in control of their own lives and health and that means everyone should get the care they need, when they need it, where they need it. Instead of just spending money firefighting crisis after crisis, we will invest now to save taxpayers’ money in the long-run. We will strengthen patients’ rights, fix crumbling hospitals, recruit and retain a workforce for the future, invest in technology that improves outcomes and saves money, and restore the UK as a world leader in health research.

 

I’m proud that our health policy wants improving the health of the nation to be the central driving mission for this and the next government, with a shift in focus to preventing ill health and tackling health inequalities.

 

Improving health is not only vital for people to live better lives, but also to relieve the pressure on our NHS. And of course Social Care comes into this too. Until we have sorted out the failing social care sector we will continue to see thousands of people in hospital who don’t need to be.

 

Our health commitments include:

• Giving everyone the right to see a GP or the most appropriate practice staff member within seven days, or within 24 hours if they urgently need

• Boosting cancer survival rates 

• Tackling the crisis in NHS dentistry
   

Find out more about these and our other health policies here:

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Transforming the Nation's Health –  2023

For a Fair Deal (Pre-Manifesto Policy Paper) Chapter 6 –  2023

Ending Period Poverty –  2023

Access to Dental Services –  2023

Fixing the Ambulance Crisis –  2022

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Social Care and Carers

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For a Fair Deal (Pre-Manifesto Policy Paper) Chapter 7 – 2023

A More Caring Society (Policy Paper) – 2023

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