Lib Dem manifesto to pledge £9bn NHS and care ‘rescue package’

The Lib Dems have also promised to invest in hospital buildings and public health.

To boost cancer survival rates, it would guarantee all patients can start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral.

The party says it would guarantee access to an NHS dentist for everyone needing urgent and emergency care.

Meanwhile, it wants to see mental health hubs for young people in every community, with regular check-ups at key points in their lives when they are vulnerable.

The party’s manifesto will include no increases to the rate of income tax, VAT or National Insurance contributions.

Instead it says £4bn would be raised by reversing tax cuts for big banks, while it plans to raise £5bn by closing the loopholes on Capital Gains Tax it says is used by the top 0.1% wealthiest individuals.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Years of neglect and chaos under the Conservatives have left our health services in a state of crisis. It is outrageous that pensioners are forced to endure the indignity of being left in hospital corridors while millions of people struggle to see their local GP or dentist.

“By ending the health and social care crisis, we can boost our economy by getting people back to work whilst giving people the dignity they deserve in their hour of need.”

Other policies in the manifesto will include:

The Lib Dems are targeting areas where they came second to the Conservatives in 2019, especially the so-called “blue wall” areas of southern England that were once Tory strongholds.