Northumberland Labour says the NHS will be the envy of the world again under a Labour government.

Deputy leader Liz Simpson said: “We’re proud of our NHS in the county but it succeeds in spite of, not because of, this government.

Under the 1997- 2010 Labour government, the NHS brought in the maximum four-hour wait in accident and emergency, two-week cancer waits and 18-week referral to treatment. These were very ambitious targets but they were met in Northumberland.

“Like any challenging target they need to be worked at, but the Tory government was happy to take its foot off the pedal and let the targets slip, leaving the whole country in a parlous state, even before the pandemic.

“Labour will put the NHS, a service which is highly valued in this country, back where it belongs; able to look after people and their families quickly in their time of need.

“People in our county and across the whole country deserve this.”