During the build up to a general election in the UK, every political party will release their manifesto, a published declaration of their intentions and motives of issues throughout society to the public.

Each party has differing views, but one thing that is always consistent is that the health and social care industries will become a battleground where the political parties try and secure additional votes.

The pledges made to the NHS and social care in the manifestos will always have an impact on the population right around the country, as at some point in their life, they would have used a vital service from within the industry. Every person who votes in this upcoming general election on the 12th December 2019 should analyse what every manifesto means to them, picking out key points to establish who they are going to vote for. 

So, whether you are someone who benefits from social care, or someone who relies on the NHS, finding the right party to suit you needs is of the utmost importance. This article will show a number of key points from the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party (the four main political parties in England) on the NHS and social care.

Make sure you follow up by doing your own research in every party’s pledges to find the one that suits you best!

 

Conservative Party

The Conservative Party has pledged the following for the NHS and social care: 

- A budget increase of £33.9 billion by 2023/4, with a further £6.2 billion this year

- New state-of-the-art MRI, CT, and mammography screening machines to 78 hospital trusts

- The opening of five new medical schools to train new NHS staff

- An investment of £1.4 billion into mental health policy, with an extra £975 million going into community mental health services for adults every year.

- An extra £1 billion every year for social care until 2024/25.

 

Labour Party

The Labour Party has pledged the following for the NHS and Social Care:

- A £26 billion real terms spending increase to the NHS budget.

- An extra £1.6 billion a year to ensure new mental health standards

- Increased investment in more AI, cyber technology, state-of-the-art medical equipment including more MRI and CT scanners

- Investment in the training and development of NHS staff by offering training bursaries

- Build a comprehensive National Care Service in England

- Invest and improve the standard of care and social care services to more than double the amount of people receiving publicly funded care packages

 

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats has pledged the following for the NHS and Social Care:

- Raise £7 billion a year to invest into the NHS and social care services

- Introduce a statutory independent budget monitoring body for health and care

- Review the NHS’s future needs for all staff and produce a national workforce strategy

- Relieve social care by tackling urgent workforce shortages

- Support the creation of a new Professional Body for Care Workers: promoting clear career pathways and ongoing training

- Introduce a new requirement for professional regulation of all care home manager, who would also be required to have a relevant qualification.

 

Green Party

The Green Party has pledged the following for the NHS and Social Care:

- Increase funding for the NHS by at least £6 billion per year until 2030

- Invest in new staff for the NHS and social care with a further £1 billion a year in nursing higher education

- Focus funding to enable major improvements to mental health care to truly put it on an equal footing with physical health care

 

Whatever happens in the general election, the NHS and businesses throughout the social care industry will be affected by what the results bring. The most important thing you can do is to exercise your right to vote.