Announcing new policy on the NHS at the Conservative Spring Conference, David Cameron outlined his plans to make the NHS a full seven days a week service by 2020.
Conservatives believe that the NHS is something to be valued, protected – and improved. Because we have been working to a long-term economic plan and we have been prepared to take difficult decisions to cut spending elsewhere, we have been able to increase the NHS budget by over £12 billion since 2010.
Now through our careful stewardship of the economy, we want to work towards making the NHS a full seven day a week service. For years it’s been too hard to access the NHS out of hours – but illness doesn’t just happen from 9-5, Monday to Friday. Already millions more people can see a GP seven days a week under our reforms. But by 2020 we want this for everyone, with hospitals properly staffed with a consultant, especially for urgent and emergency care, so that everyone will have access to the NHS services they need.
Britain would be the first country in the world to make this happen – and it’s only possible under a Conservative Government with a credible economic plan. It is only possible to invest in better NHS services if you have a strong economy to underpin it. Ed Miliband doesn’t have a plan for the economy and that means he wouldn’t be able to fund the NHS properly either.