Davey voices concern at Starmer ‘talking about reform before investment’ in NHS

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said his party is “worried” that the Government is “talking about reform before investment” when it comes to the NHS.

As the second day of the party’s autumn conference began in Brighton, Sir Ed pledged the Lib Dems “will hold [the Government] to account” when they disagree, and they believe there needs to be “reform and investment” in the health service.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Sir Ed said his party “absolutely will challenge the Government where we disagree with them”, and pledged to be a “better opposition than the Conservatives”.

He later added: “We’re worried that in the NHS debate, they’re talking about reform before investment, when we think there needs to be reform and investment.

“So we will hold them to account, but we will be different from the Conservatives because being constructive means you have a different tone.”

Sir Ed called for a “Budget for the NHS”, as he said it “isn’t working the way it used to” and that his party will use its “new strength in Parliament” to “champion” the service.

The party wants an extra £1.1 billion a year of capital investment in NHS infrastructure to help fix hospitals and buy new equipment, and would also like an additional £3.7 billion a year in day-to-day spending to fund more GPs and dentist appointments.

He said he believes social care is “the most important part” of NHS reform.

He told the same BBC programme: “We’ve argued – and I think we’re probably the only party arguing it with this intensity – that social care is a critical part, the most important part of that reform.

“I don’t believe you can sort out some of the problems in our hospitals, where people can’t get discharged, where people keep going back, and there’s a revolving door, unless you sort out social care.

“That means better care homes, more care staff, better domiciliary care services, paying care workers more.

“We’re going to be banging the drum for care and carers and social care, because we think that’s the only way you can save our NHS.”

It comes after a report from former health minister Lord Darzi earlier this week said the health service “is in critical condition, but its vital signs are strong”.

The review set out widespread issues, including a failure to cut waits in A&E, missed targets for treatment and cancer care, alongside low productivity in hospitals despite investment in staffing.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said following the report’s release that there will be no more money for the NHS without reform.

The Liberal Democrats began their autumn conference in Brighton on Saturday, the first since they won 72 MPs in July’s general election and took a number of previously safe Conservative seats.

Sir Ed said his party will “focus on the NHS” as it tries to “repay the trust” the electorate put in them at the election.

Speaking to Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme, he said that during this Parliament he wants to “be the champion of the NHS and care” and “make sure that as we put forward our ideas, we repay the trust that the electorate put in us”.

He added: “I remember when we lost the trust of the voters, and we’ve had to work really hard to build it back through those by-elections, local elections.

“I think we’ve really made a step forward in the general election, but we shouldn’t take that for granted – that’s what the Conservatives did; I’m not going to do that.

“We’re going to work every day to keep that trust, to earn that trust, to repay that trust, and that’s why we’re going to focus on the NHS and care and put forward some bold proposals.”

The party’s autumn conference will continue in Brighton until Tuesday.