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Norman Lamb responds to NHS England report

by Ian Shires on 23 October, 2014

Following the publication of a report by NHS England which outlines CEO Simon Steven’s five-year forward view on the health service, Liberal Democrat Care Minister Norman Lamb said:

“Liberal Democrats want to create opportunity for everyone by building a stronger economy and a fairer society. That means properly funding our NHS for the future, and providing better care, both for physical and mental health.

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“Over 13 years, Labour wasted money with PFI schemes and sweetheart deals for private companies and now they are wrecking the NHS in Wales – cutting the budget by 8%, missing targets on A&E and cancer treatment and presiding over the worst ambulance response times in the UK. They refused to protect NHS funding in this Parliament and they can’t be trusted with it in Government again. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls would wreck the recovery and you can’t have well-funded public services without a strong economy.

“The Conservatives are not promising anything more than protecting the NHS budget in real terms. If that’s the deal, the NHS would crash. The Tories are totally failing to recognise the need for more resources to deal with the growing pressures on the NHS as we all live longer, often with chronic conditions.

“Only the Liberal Democrats are calling for more funding next year and at least one billion more in each year after that.

“We are the only party that will invest more in our public services once we have finished the job of clearing the deficit in 2018.

“We are the only party putting equality for mental health treatment front and centre of our manifesto, with £500m of extra funding.

“And we are the only party calling for real improvement from the bottom up, joining up health and care to give people care closer to home.

“Much of Simon Steven’s report is in line with Liberal Democrat policy. The priority given to mental health is extremely welcome. Recognising and supporting the needs of carers is vital. And getting hospital teams to work more closely with GPs, and GPs to work together to deliver care is an important step in providing care closer to home.”

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