The NHS

WITH the Royal Bolton Hospital based in the South East constituency, the safety and security of the National Health Service is a major concern for voters in the area.

Each candidate was asked why they believe they should be trusted to meet the needs of the hospital as well as securing the right healthcare for local people over the next five years.

Jeff Armstrong said UKIP has a “clear vision for 21st century healthcare.”

He added: “The people of Britain are rightly proud of the NHS and we will invest £12 billion over the next five years to keep it working for them.

“Our plans for 8000 more GPs will help the situation locally, as will our pledge to reduce the burden of data collection, target chasing, revalidation and appraisal work that interferes with the care GPs can give to patients.

“We will also have 20,000 more nurses and 3,000 more midwives, and will also fund return to practice training for those who have taken career breaks.”

Mr Johnson and the Green party have consistently campaigned on the issue of the NHS, he said: “The Green Party totally opposes all privatisation in all its manifestations.

“The last Labour Government saddled our NHS with massive debts because of its PFI programme — we would buy all these contracts back.

“I would also vote to repeal the coalition’s Health and Social Care act, which has brought in back door privatisation.”

“Locally i would seek extra funding for health centres in the constituency, and try to make them more patient friendly, making it easier to get Doctors appointments.”

Liberal Democrat Darren Reynolds is presenting a different approach, he said: “With the NHS what we really need to do is to cut demand.

“That's why I'm a director of a charity, the SENS Foundation, which conducts research into regenerative medicine.

“The idea is to fix you before you even know you're broken, just like getting a car serviced.

“Naturally, we're a very long way from having anything that could be provided in a clinical setting, but one day you will be fit and happy right into your old age, however long you live.”

Cllr Dean of the Conservatives wants to take the politics out of the NHS, he said: “A Conservative Government will ensure access to GPs' surgeries 7 days a week, which will reduce the burden on Accident & Emergency at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

“The NHS is precious to every single resident in Bolton and if elected as a Member of Parliament, I would like to see an all-parties committee being set up to look at the long-term future of the NHS.

“The Conservatives have increased spending and pledged to do so in the next Parliament.”

Labour candidate Ms Qureshi said she wants to continue fighting for the NHS, adding: “Accident and emergency departments are in crisis and more people are facing long waits for tests, treatment, or to see a GP.

“A Labour government will create an NHS ‘Time to Care’ fund — this would be an extra £2.5 billion a year, on top of Conservative spending plans – so that we can train 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs and 3,000 more midwives, to ensure that those in Bolton South East can see their GP and get access to vital cancer tests, fast.”