Shadow Health Secretary Tells Sajid Javid: Put The NHS First, Not Tory Leadership Ambitions

6 January 2019, 13:37

The shadow health secretary tells Sajid Javid that he needs to put the NHS ahead of any personal political ambition.

Jonathan Ashworth told his party's deputy leader Tom Watson that the UK has "always relied" on international nurses coming to work for the NHS.

"Brexit sort of hangs like a Sword of Damocles over the NHS and unless we get it right, it's going to cause huge damage," the shadow health secretary said.

Mr Ashworth continued: "What we shouldn't be doing is imposing a £30,000 salary cap on people coming in from the EU and elsewhere to work in our NHS."

"This is what Sajid Javid is looking at and I'm saying to him to put the NHS first, don't put your Tory leadership ambitions first".

His comments come as the Health Secretary Matt Hancock promise medical supplies would not be interrupted whatever the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

"We clearly need more doctors, more nurses and we need to expand the NHS across the board," he said.

""We are increasing the NHS budget by £20bn a year over the next five years and alongside that we are going to have a long-term plan."

Listen to the interview in full in the video below.