Bringing back “the family doctor” has proven to be a key debating point in Bolton in the lead up to the general election.

This comes after the Bolton and District Pensioners Association contacted every candidate across each of the borough’s three seats ahead of the July poll.

The campaigning group has repeatedly raised concerns about access to GP surgeries around the town, a topic also brought up by several of the candidates in their responses.

Labour candidate for Bolton West Phil Brickell said: “Labour would guarantee a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one and deliver a modern appointment booking system to end the 8am scramble.

“We will bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient, so ongoing or complex conditions are dealt with effectively.”

The manifesto was launched by the Bolton and District Pensioners AssociationThe manifesto was launched by the Bolton and District Pensioners Association (Image: Newsquest)

This was also a key theme in the response the group received from the Green Candidate for Bolton West, Vicki Attenborough.

She said that having worked in the healthcare system herself she had come to believe the system itself was “broken.”

Ms Attenborough said: “I worked in healthcare until very recently, for 35 years.

“I have spent a lot of time recently trying to negotiate the health and social care system with my aging parents.

“It is completely broken.

“The Green Party are asking for those with the broadest shoulders to pay a little more to allow people to get the care they need.” 

Access to GP surgeries has long been a pressing priority in Bolton, with the latest figures having shown that there are now the equivalent of just 207 full time GPs in the whole borough.

The House of Commons Library figures mean that there are now more than 1,600 patients for the equivalent of every full time GP in Bolton.

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Liberal Democrat candidate Donald McIntosh said that many of the pensioners’ association’s priorities seemed to line up with his party’s own policies and manifesto commitment.

In turn one of the association’s members said they had been impressed with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey’s personality and proposed solutions to the social care issue.

Also standing in Bolton West are Conservative Chris Green, Reform UK’s Dylan Evans and Patrick McGrath of the English Democrats.

The general election will be held on July 4.