Green Party sorry for floating reduction in childbirth medical care

The Green Party has said it apologises “unreservedly” for any upset caused by a now-deleted health policy which pledged to reduce the number of medical interventions in childbirth.

The party’s health policy document, which has since been taken down, previously stated that there has been a rise in Caesarean sections, which it described as “expensive and, when not medically required, risky”.

A change to NHS culture was also proposed in the document, to ensure that “birth is treated as a normal and non-medical event”.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday morning, the Green Party’s health spokeswoman, Dr Pallavi Devulapalli, clarified: “We unreservedly apologise for any upset caused.

“Green Party policy is never about depriving choice for women and we’re clear that we respect women’s choices.

“On maternity, we have no ideological bias toward one thing or another.

“Ultimately the choice for someone’s birth will be dependant on their individual circumstances.

“That is the end of the matter.

“We’re not preaching to anyone and we have no interest in pushing for one thing or another when it comes to healthcare.

“We go by the evidence.”

On Wednesday, the party confirmed it will carry out a full review of the policy following the concerns.

Dr Devulapalli separately dismissed Labour’s proposal to use the private sector to help cut the NHS backlog as “short-sighted”.

Asked whether the Green Party would consider doing the same to improve waiting times, Dr Devulapalli said: “Giving contracts to the private sector weakens the NHS.

“Instead of giving that money to the private sector, we would strengthen the NHS long term.

“Economically it’s the smarter thing to do.

“What Wes Streeting’s proposing is very short-sighted and very inefficient.

“It’s not a smart thing to do at all.”

Adrian Ramsay, the co-leader of the party, announced a raft of funding pledges that the party would enact if elected.

By 2030, he said the party would be spending £50 billion per year on the NHS and social care to “nurse the NHS back to health”.

This would include £5 billion to boost NHS salaries in order to keep doctors in the UK, and £20 billion for adult social care.

Over the course of the next parliament, Mr Ramsay also said the party would be looking to invest £20 billion to improve “crumbling” hospitals and bring old equipment up to standard.

However, Mr Ramsay did not rule out raising taxes on working people to pay for the measures when asked.

The candidate for Waveney Valley (East Anglia) said: “Those on the lowest incomes will be better off (under a Green government).

“We want to take a number of measures that help people that have been struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

“Our manifesto will be about supporting people on low incomes and asking the very richest in society to contribute more.”

Instead, Mr Ramsay said that the cost of the measures would fall on those with the “broadest shoulders” through an increased windfall tax on energy companies.

The party will be launching its manifesto next week.