The NHS has been absent from this leadership campaign, yet after energy bills the biggest issue facing the new Prime Minister will be a looming winter crisis. Judging by the state of ambulance and A&E services over Summer, this Winter will be the toughest ever. A thread…

We spend a similar % of GDP on health as France & Germany, but crucially, both have way more drs per head because we STILL don’t have a workforce plan. Health and Social Care Committee have been warning about this for years now but we have met obfuscation & resistance from Department of Health and Social Care.

Staff shortages & morale have never been worse. If the NHS continues this spiral of decline with ambulances, A&Es & GP surgeries all in serious crisis, we’ll see avoidable deaths mount up this winter. Staff know there’s no silver bullet, but they need to know there’s a plan.

These are my suggestions.1/ A mass overseas recruitment drive for doctors & nurses as a temporary, short-term lever - allowing drs from countries with good medical education systems like Canada and Germany to be green listed so they don't have to resit pointless additional exams

2/ Grant an immediate exemption for doctors to public sector pension rules which are currently forcing them to retire in their fifties in alarming numbers.