Tories accused of being 'desperate' in seeking NHS doctors' support
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Version 0 of 1. The Conservatives have been accused of resorting to “desperate stuff” after it emerged that advisers working for Jeremy Hunt are seeking to round up signatures for a letter saying that the NHS should not be used as a political football. In the latest round of the war of election letters, Hunt’s supporters have emailed sympathetic doctors to ask them whether they would be prepared to sign the letter. The email says: “There is a letter being put together saying that the NHS shouldn’t be used as a political football during the election campaign. If you are willing in principle to support this, please reply to Jeremy Hunt’s advisor.” The move to rally support for the Tories, by highlighting reported remarks by Ed Miliband that he is seeking to “weaponise” the NHS, follows the publication in the Guardian of a letter by GPs which was highly critical of the Tories’ handling of the NHS. The letter, signed by 140 senior doctors, said: “We invite voters to consider carefully how the NHS has fared over the last five years, and to use their vote to ensure that the NHS in England is reinstated.” The Tory fightback was disclosed by the health writer Roy Lilley. He tweeted: “Tories canvassing for a ‘support the NHS’ letter from doctors – the games continue!” A Labour source said: “This is desperate stuff from a Tory election campaign that is stuck in the gutter. David Cameron has nothing to offer patients and can’t escape his dismal track record on the NHS. It won’t escape people’s notice that it comes on the same day waiting lists hit a new high.” |