Our NHS is treating record numbers of people successfully, and is getting record levels of backing from this Conservative government. We are pledged to increase that support still further, and to give mental health care "parity of esteem". We will recruit an additional 10,000 workers in mental health care, and promote a better understanding of the issues so that people are more able to seek help earlier.
Queen Alexandra Hospital has just been rated in the "top 40" in the country across the whole range of delivering healthcare. We know it faces some challenges with its Emergency Department - this was not updated during the rebuilding scheme several years ago, and is in need of rebuilding. I have already discussed this with Ministers and I will be pushing hard for this again if I am successful on June 8th.
As with any public services, we can only fund them if we have a strong economy. But we also need to do more to promote healthy lifestyles, and make sure that people are able to access treatment in the most appropriate way.
