The Conservative Party says it will reform the pension system for doctors if re-elected next month. The commitment is one of a series of initiatives targeting the NHS.
In a statement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a Conservative majority government would support GP practices to reduce waiting times through modernising systems and will ensure reforms to address doctors’ pensions, which cause many GPs and senior hospital doctors to turn down extra shifts for fear of high tax bills.
He announced a package of initiatives which include a commitment to deliver 50 million more GP appointments every year by 2024-25. The additional appointments will be made possible, he said, by the delivery of 6,000 more GPs and 6,000 more nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists.
The package includes plans to increase the NHS workforce by improving international recruitment and retention of domestic staff, and training an extra 500 GPs a year from 2021-22.
“The Conservative Party has always been the party of the NHS,” the statement says, adding that the party has “protected the NHS for 44 of the last 71 years of its existence”.
“Labour’s Brexit chaos means they have nothing to offer. Their inability to deal with Brexit means they would be unable to deliver meaningful policies to actually support our cherished health service,” the Party says.
“The Labour Party can’t support the NHS - only the Conservatives can support our health services and unleash Britain’s potential,” it states.
