Northumberland and Labour say the blame for ‘crisis in the NHS’ must be laid firmly at the door of the Conservatives.

Deputy leader Liz Simpson said: “It is heartbreaking to see the strides the last Labour government made being systematically stripped away in the past 11 years. It was a Labour government that brought in four hour A&E waits, two week cancer waits and 18-week referral to treatment. 

“This would never have been brought in during a Conservative government and many thought these standards were not achievable. However, they were achieved right across the country during a Labour government with the Northern and Yorkshire region of the NHS performing well ahead of the rest of the country. 

“We have to remember that, at the time the Prime Minister, the Health Secretary and a number of senior Labour figures lived in the North and they were determined to improve access to healthcare. 

“We also had groundbreaking initiatives such as Sure Start which children had the best start possible in life and supported families. To use the Current Prime Minister’s well worn phrase, they levelled up. 

“Seeing these standards and services slip away is absolutely heartbreaking and it’s a tragedy for the people of the North because it affects their health.”

Labour has set out its plan to restore standards to provide health and social care which is at the very least on a par with other countries. It will:

• tackle the causes of ill health (such as poor housing, education and a lack of job opportunities and bring in schemes to keep people healthy)
• guarantee mental health treatment within a month for those who need it
• support children through every stage of their physical and mental development
• ensure people can stay in their own homes longer supported by carers properly rewarded for the job they do