The Tories have given up on standing up for patients

The Conservative Party’s opposition to Ed Miliband’s new GP access guarantee shows they have given up on standing up for patients.

Unlike the Tories, Labour wants all patients to have decent access to their GP surgery. That’s why the Patients Association welcomed it, saying it will offer “real choice for patients”.

A Labour Government will guarantee an appointment within 48 hours and one on the a same-day if you need to be seen quickly – alongside the right to book further ahead with the GP of your choice.

Under the Tories it has got harder and harder to see a GP. More people are having to wait over 48 hours for an appointment and over a quarter of the public say they can’t get an appointment in the same week.

To help all practices offer these options to patients Labour will invest an extra £100m in general practice – paid for by scrapping David Cameron’s competition rules that are creating huge waste and bureaucracy in the NHS.

The current situation is awful for families who depend on their local GP service and it’s also putting huge strain on our A&Es which are also now in crisis.

Labour’s GP access guarantee will not only improve healthcare for patients but it is a key part of our plan to help the NHS survive.

The Tories opposition to our guarantee is just further evidence that you really can’t trust them on the NHS.

Jamie Reed is a Shadow Health Minister