Sir Ed Davey has said the NHS “cannot withstand” Labour reforms without more funding.
The Liberal Democrat leader, speaking from the party’s conference in Brighton, said he is concerned the government is “talking about reform before investment”.
Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer said the NHS will not get any more funding without reforming as he laid out a 10-year plan to fix the health service.
Sir Ed told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I don’t think the NHS can withstand that approach.
“It needs the investment up front as well as reform.”
He said the Conservatives “reneged” on reforming social care and said “Labour doesn’t seem to be grasping” it.
Without reforming social care, “you won’t reform the NHS”, he said.
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Ed Davey arrives at conference on jet ski
The Lib Dems have put themselves forward as the party to fix social care and the NHS.
Sir Ed said about one million people, pensioners and disabled people would be “getting care right now” if the Conservatives had not got rid of the 2014 Care Act introduced when they were in coalition with the Lib Dems.
The act legislated for many of the recommendations made by the Dilnot Commission on how to deliver a fair, affordable and sustainable funding system for social care.
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Sir Ed accused the former Conservative government of spending “a lot of the money” in the wrong place.
He added the Lib Dem’s plan for the NHS and social care was one of the main reasons his party saw such a boost at the election.
The Lib Dems went from 15 MPs to 72 at the general election – the party’s best result in a century.
They are celebrating that win during their annual conference, held in Brighton until Tuesday.
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