Health cuts targeted in Welsh election campaign
Thursday, 12 April 2007 12:00 AM
The Welsh Conservatives today launched a nationwide health campaign against Labour's planned NHS 'cuts'.
A van emblazoned with the slogan Stop Labour's NHS cuts/Stopiwch Doriadau GIG Llafur will tour each of the five Welsh regions over the next week, targeting local communities threatened by a loss of local services.
Launching the campaign, the Conservatives' assembly health spokesman Jonathan Morgan said that, instead of cuts, the Tories would engage in a "proper dialogue" with local clinicians and people on local services.
"Welsh Conservatives believe in putting doctors and nurses in charge of the day to day running of the health service, not politicians," said Mr Morgan.
He continued: "The sooner we wrest the fingers of Brian Gibbons and Rhodri Morgan from the controls of NHS Wales the better it will be for doctors, nurses and patients."
The party was buoyed today by the claim that 43 per cent of doctors now plan to vote Conservative, in a "huge swing" to David Cameron. The poll by Hospital Doctor magazine found seven per cent of doctors now identify with Labour.
The shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Doctors at the heart of our services are not only suffering poor morale but have now lost confidence in Patricia Hewitt and Labour's stewardship of the NHS."
Earlier this week Plaid Cymru also focused their election campaign on health services, claiming Labour had failed to deliver on their NHS pledges.
Plaid's health spokesman Helen Mary Jones launched a mini-manifesto to save the health services while campaigning in Llanelli. The party pledged to invest in school nurses, PE and youth mental health while fighting Labour's hospital closures.
And the Welsh Liberal Democrats have also been highlighting their campaign against NHS cuts on the election trail.
"Welsh Lib Dems say there should be no more cuts and closures unless the services are available locally elsewhere," said health spokeswoman Jenny Randerson.
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