I’m often asked by constituents to attend an event in Parliament in support of a cause they care strongly about. No more so than in support of health charities who work so hard to highlight the need for funding for research or how else they might help to effectively tackle diseases and long-term conditions.

Cancer remains one of the biggest killers even if survival rates have improved. There are exciting new developments including new blood tests to detect cancer cells and help reduce unnecessary chemotherapy. Another campaign highlights the importance of early diagnosis of brain cancer which would be helped if GPs could directly refer patients for MRI scans. But at the heart of the NHS’s problems is a shortage of doctor’s, nurses and specialists like radiologists. More than a decade of Government mismanagement of the NHS has meant a depleted workforce and waiting lists of more than 7 million cases. Difficulty getting a GP appointment, the disaster which is dentistry, longer ambulance waits and the slashing of money promised for the reform of social care are all symptoms of an NHS in crisis. It means millions left waiting in pain and fear and thousands of lost working days. The NHS needs more doctors – but the Government has cut the number of medical school places.

We all want to see services provided locally but politicians calling for specialist services at every hospital are being at least disingenuous about workforce shortages. The NHS is arguably our greatest achievement but in its 75th year services have never seemed under greater pressure.