Opinion polls show the NHS remains one of the areas of greatest concern for voters in the upcoming general election, with health and social care one of the most discussed topics on the campaign trail ahead of the July 4 election.
The NHS is also a divisive issue, being akin to a state religion for some, but a bloated behemoth no longer fit for purpose for others.
Reform Pledges 3 Years of Zero Income Tax
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, refers to its manifesto as a “contract” and is offering health care policies that clearly differentiate it from the other parties.Reform is the only party to address the concerns of lockdown critics, with a promise to take the UK out of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the pandemic treaty, unless there is fundamental change within the agency.
Arguably the biggest surprise was a pledge that all frontline NHS and care workers would pay zero basic rate income tax for three years to boost recruitment.
Some analysts, such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, have cast doubt over whether such sweeping tax cuts could be delivered without impacting public services.
To deliver more staff without having to rely on immigration, Reform pledges to expand places for UK medical and nursing students and to write off student debt proportionally with each 10 years of NHS service.
Mr. Farage is pledging to make further use of the private sector, with 20 percent tax relief to be offered for private health care insurance, and through a voucher scheme for patients to pay for private treatment if they cannot get appointments or treatment in a timely fashion on the NHS.
Reform is the only party promising to hold an inquiry into harms caused by the COVID-19 vaccines and ongoing excess deaths.
While the government acknowledges the harm done to the nation’s physical and mental health by lockdowns, the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens make no specific pledges around lockdowns or the pandemic treaty.
Conservatives Pledge to Keep Spending Above Inflation
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party manifesto pledges to increase NHS spending above the rate of inflation and provide 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 extra doctors within five years.Mr. Sunak pledged to see through the New Hospitals Programme to build 40 new hospitals by 2030, along with a £3.4 billion investment in new technology for the NHS. In common with Labour, the Tory manifesto proposes to utilise AI to free up staff time, to expand the NHS app, and to move some health care out of a hospital setting and into the community.
The Conservatives propose to expand on the government’s Pharmacy First scheme so that greater prescribing rights are given to chemists and nurses for certain health conditions, which is a policy backed by the other parties.
On mental health, the Tories plan to expand the provision of support teams from the current level of 50 percent to cover all schools and colleges.
Mr. Sunak is pledging to bring in a law banning the sale of all tobacco and vaping products to anyone born from 2009 onwards, a policy backed by Labour, the Lib Dems, and the Greens.
On social care, the Conservatives are proposing to cap costs by 2025 and give local authorities a “multi-year funding settlement” following the next spending review.
Liberal Democrats Pledge Free Social Care
Sir Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrats offered something of a “rabbit out of a hat” with a proposal to extend NHS funding to cover social care, placing the issue front and centre of its manifesto.Pledging £9.4 billion for health and social care, Sir Ed said free personal care and a boost in pay for carers would be paid for by raising taxes for banks and closing loopholes used by the wealthiest individuals and corporations.
The Lib Dems are pledging to increase the number of full time GPs by 8,000, with the aim that everyone can see a GP within a week, or 24 hours if urgent, aided by the creation of a new booking system.
The Lib Dems want to introduce a Cancer Survival Research Act, requiring the government to coordinate and fund research into forms of the disease with the lowest survival rates.
Sir Ed’s party is pledging to improve access to mental health treatment and diagnosis through walk-in hubs for young people in every community.
Labour Pledges Weekend Appointments
As the party which created the NHS in 1945, Labour is pledging to “reset relations” with staff after a series of strikes by junior doctors, and says additional funding will be found by closing an inheritance tax loophole for non-doms.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is pledging to cut waiting times by creating 40,000 more appointments every week by “incentivising” staff to see patients during evenings and weekends, and expanding the state’s use of the private sector.
The party is pledging an additional 8,500 NHS mental health staff and to expand mental health hubs for young people.
While Labour is promising to implement the findings of the Cass Review for the care of young people suffering gender confusion, the party wants to pass legislation to ban so-called “conversion therapy,” which opponents fear could lead to professionals having to affirm a person’s “identity,” potentially leading them to a harmful, medical pathway.
Through a new “life sciences plan,” Labour claims it would speed up the process of approving and bringing to market equipment and medicines and accelerate clinical trials, partly through the use of the NHS app to recruit volunteers.
Labour makes no mention of vaccine damage, but pledges to “digitise” the Red Book record of children’s health and to “enable vaccinations for babies and children as part of health visits.”
Sir Keir is pledging to ban the advertising of junk food to children to tackle the epidemic of obesity, and to prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.
The Green Party manifesto promises to increase junior doctors’ pay and pledges a pay rise and better career structure for social care workers through a £10 billion investment. The Greens are also proposing new legislation to support those with mental health conditions.
