Don Foster, the MP for Bath, has congratulated Britain’s National Health Service on reaching its 65th Birthday.
Commenting, Don Foster MP said: “The NHS is one of Britain’s greatest achievements. Conceived by a Liberal, it has transformed the lives of millions for 65 years, and today more than ever people depend on it throughout their lives.
“The Liberal Democrats in government are committed to protecting an NHS that is free for all, and which continues to adapt itself to the changing needs of modern Britain.
“In Government, the Liberal Democrats are working to build a fairer society by ensuring that NHS funding is protected at a time when Labour has cut health spending by 20% in Wales.
“I fully support plans to cap the cost of care for elderly people, protecting them from the impact of catastrophic care costs. I am also delighted that the Liberal Democrats are ensuring that for the first time in the history of the NHS, mental health patients are entitled to the same level of service as those with physical health needs.”
Norman Lamb MP, Liberal Democrat Minister of State for Care and Support at the Department of Health said: “Liberal Democrats in Government will be relentless in working for better care, making sure that care home companies and directors of NHS Trusts are held to account if dreadful things happen.
“We need to support more effectively those who are living with complex long-term health problems. And we need to make the system more efficient so that we can reinvest savings in patient care.
“By 2030, the number of over 80s is expected to double, and by 2016 we expect that 3 million people will be living with three separate long-term health conditions. The challenge facing the NHS over this period is totally unprecedented, but the Liberal Democrats in Government are already putting in place some of the foundations for the changes that are needed.”
