Chemist + Druggist is part of Pharma Intelligence UK Limited

This is operated by Pharma Intelligence UK Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 13787459 whose registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. The Pharma Intelligence group is owned by Caerus Topco S.à r.l. and all copyright resides with the group.

Menu


This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use. Please do not redistribute without permission.

Printed By

UsernamePublicRestriction
Tags:
Politics

A pharmacy guide to the political manifestos

  • Analysis

C+D analyses the political manifestos for the key areas that could affect pharmacy

  • Richard Coombs_2

Which of the main parties have the best policies on NHS structure, NHS funding and small business? C+D analyses the political manifestos for the key areas that could affect pharmacy. Click on an issue to compare the parties.

The issues

Pharmacy mentioned?

● Conservatives   No

● Labour   No

● Liberal Democrats   Yes

● Green Party   Yes

● UKIP   No

● SNP  No

● Plaid Cymru   No
 
NHS structure

● Conservatives
A seven-day NHS
Unsurprisingly, the Tories do not propose any major structural changes following their reforms to the NHS in 2012. Instead, the Conservative manifesto focuses on the concept of a “seven-day NHS”, which mainly revolves around GPs being open for this length of time.

● Labour
Sensible commissioning 
If elected, Labour will repeal the Health and Social Care Act 2012 – the legislation that heralded the NHS reforms. Instead of tendering out services to ‘any qualified provider’, Labour says it will establish “a sensible commissioning framework” based on the principle of an NHS preferred provider.

● Liberal Democrats
A more joined-up system
The Liberal Democrats are not totally against the changes enshrined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, but have pledged to repeal any elements that lead to “forced privatisation”. They also want to combine public health and adult social care into a single national outcomes framework.

● Green Party
Collaboration not competition
The Green Party would repeal the Health and Social Care Act 2012. It would restore the obligation on the government to provide a comprehensive health service, abolish competition and encourage collaboration between healthcare providers – particularly mentioning pharmacy in this context.

● UKIP
A boost for secondary care
The party wants to increase the number of emergency medicine consultants and put GPs on duty in A&E departments to relieve the pressures on secondary care. It has no intention of repealing the Health and Social Care Act 2012 because this would waste “yet more billions” on reorganising the NHS again.

● SNP
Protecting against privatisation
The SNP says it will protect all parts of the UK from the threat of further privatisation and to restore it to a “fully public service”. Joining up health and social care provision across Scotland to make it “seamless” is another of its priorities.

● Plaid Cymru
An integrated public service
The NHS should not be subject to the principles of a free market, says Plaid Cymru, which opposes the privatisation of the health service. It also pledges to better integrate health and social care and to strengthen community-based healthcare services to keep people out of hospital. 
 
Extra NHS funding

● Conservatives   £8 billion a year by 2020

● Labour   £2.5 billion a year

● Liberal Democrats   £8 billion a year

● Green Party   £12 billion a year immediately

● UKIP   £12 billion a year over five years

● SNP   £24 billion a year by 2020 (UK)

● Plaid Cymru   No figure
 
NHS workforce

● Conservatives
‘Enough’ staff to meet needs

● Labour
31,000 more frontline staff

● Liberal Democrats
Better use of GPs and pharmacists

● Green Party
400,000 more jobs

● UKIP
31,000 more frontline staff

● SNP
Increase frontline staff, decrease managers

● Plaid Cymru
1,000 extra doctors and more nurses in Wales
 
Standout health policies

● Conservatives
Improving cancer and dementia treatment 
The Tories have pledged to continue research to improve diagnosis and treatment of rare cancers, maintaining its investment in the cancer drugs fund. They also want everyone with dementia to have a “meaningful” care plan and to continue funding to find a cure. 

● Labour
A ‘whole-person’ approach
Taking a holistic approach to healthcare underpins Labour’s manifesto. It believes its changes to the health service structure (see NHS organisation, above) will promote more joined-up care “from home to hospital” and it also pledges to put a stronger focus on “prevention and early intervention”.

● Liberal Democrats
Better mental health
Mental health is mentioned in many of the manifestos, but the Liberal Democrats’ proposals are arguably the most detailed. They claim to have secured the £250m investment in mental health in this year's budget and pledge to double this increased spend by 2016-17. They also promise to “revolutionise” children’s mental health services. 

● Green Party
Expanding primary and community care
To prevent health problems before they become acute, costly and distressing, the Green Party has pledged to increase the proportion of NHS funding for primary care from 7 per cent to 11 per cent. The Greens also want to reduce waiting times for mental health treatment.

● UKIP
Abolish hospital parking charges
UKIP has set out plans to invest £200m in abolishing hospital parking charges, which it describes as a “tax on the sick”, for English visitors and patients. 

● SNP
Better funding
The SNP manifesto focuses on the underfunding of the NHS. It believes it can raise funds by, among other measures, reintroducing the 50p top tax rate, blocking the replacement of Trident and cracking down on tax avoidance.

● Plaid Cymru
Improving health technology
Plaid Cymru believes ehealth and telemedicine have the potential to increase quality and speed of patient care. Another of its key policies is to introduce a legal duty of candour obligating healthcare professionals to tell the truth to patients and their families.

 

 
Business

● Conservatives
A major review of business rates
The party has a number of pledges to support small businesses: it will cut £10 billion of red tape, treble its start-up loans programme and hold a major review of business rates this year to ensure they “properly reflect the structure of our modern economy” by 2017.

● Labour
Tax cuts for small businesses
Labour has promised to put small businesses first in line for tax cuts instead of cutting corporation tax – a reference to the relief given to larger firms under the coalition government – and would also freeze business rates for more than 1.5 million smaller business properties. 

● Liberal Democrats
Cutting red tape
The Liberal Democrats say they will continue to reduce the burden of EU legislation on small businesses, by curbing unnecessary red tape and exempting them from rules where possible.

● Green Party
Redressing the balance between small and large businesses
To improve the competitive position of small businesses, the Greens will make it easier for them to employ people and reduce their national insurance contribution to 8 per cent in the long run. It will increase corporation tax for larger firms to 30 per cent and crack down on tax evasion. 

● UKIP
Reviving the high street
UKIP plans to encourage use of local high streets by pushing for at least 30 minutes of free parking in town centres. It has also pledged to reduce business rates, cut red tape from the EU and tackle the problem of delayed payments from large companies to small suppliers. 

● SNP
Making Scotland the best place to do business
The party is "determined to maintain Scotland's position as the best place to do business in the UK” by introducing a business rates relief package worth £618m in 2015-16, which would support around 100,000 businesses.

● Plaid Cymru
Tackling business rates
More than 70,000 Welsh companies will be freed from paying business rates if Plaid Cymru’s plans to boost small- and medium-sized enterprises go ahead.
A further 83,000 will pay a reduced rate.
 








More election coverage here

 

Table

View full table

Topics

         
Pharmacist Manager
Barnsley
£30 per hour

Apply Now
Tags:
Politics
Latest News & Analysis

‘Unacceptable’ lack of April concessions ‘likely’ due to DH changes

'Appallingly hand-picked cronies': New leadership commission comes under fire

Opinion: Pharmacies should be online for better patient access

Wes Streeting: What could a Labour government mean for pharmacy?

See All
UsernamePublicRestriction

Register

CD004597

Ask The Analyst

Please Note: You can also Click below Link for Ask the Analyst
Ask The Analyst

Thank you for submitting your question. We will respond to you within 2 business days. my@email.address.

All fields are required.

Please make sure all fields are completed.

Please make sure you have filled out all fields

Please make sure you have filled out all fields

Please enter a valid e-mail address

Please enter a valid Phone Number

Ask your question to our analysts

Cancel


This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use. Please do not redistribute without permission.

Printed By