The UK’s major parties have laid out their healthcare policies (Picture: Getty Images/AP/Metro.co.uk)
The 2024 General Election is upon us and healthcare will be top of the priority list for millions of voters across the UK.
It’s been a turbulent few years for the health sector with ever-growing NHS waiting lists, a spike in A&E waiting times and medical workers striking to push for a pay rise.
With that in mind, one of the key issues for Britain’s political parties to address will be healthcare.
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Here is a breakdown of exactly what each party is promising in their manifesto policies for healthcare, should they come into power following the vote on July 4.
Conservatives
Labour Party
Liberal Democrats
Green Party
Reform UK
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Conservatives’ healthcare policies
Recruit 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 more doctors
Deliver 40 new hospitals and build or modernise 250 GP surgeries
Improve mental health support
Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party has promised to recruit a total of 120,000 nurses and doctors in the UK (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
The Conservatives have vowed to increase NHS spending above the rate of inflation every year if it wins the election in an attempt to tackle ongoing issues.
‘We are committed to accelerating the NHS’s recovery from the pandemic, delivering safe and effective services and ongoing improvements in waiting times for primary, elective, cancer and emergency care,’ the party’s manifesto said.
The Tories will focus efforts on putting 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 doctors on the frontline, as well as delivering on the promise of 40 new hospitals, investing in new facilities and training more staff in rural and coastal areas.
Efforts to ‘transform the NHS for patients and staff’ will also come in the way of a £3.4billion investment in new technology, it said, with a particular focus on making the NHS the ‘single front door for NHS services’.
Rishi Sunak’s party also wants to improve mental health support by doubling the amount of help available within schools and colleges by 2030. The Conservatives also want to increase the amount of talking therapy available by 50% to support those with anxiety, stress and depression.
Women’s health will also be ‘prioritised’ with a national strategy for maternal care introduced and additional funding delivered for maternal safety, as well as improving access to mental health services for new mums.
Labour Party’s healthcare policies
Cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 more appointments every week and return of the ‘family doctor’
Double the number of cancer scanners
Recruit 8,500 additional mental health staff to improve mental health support
Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party …read more
Source:: Metro
