This is with reference to Mr Kevin Small’s letter of February 13 regarding Mr Steve Halden’s reference to PFI’s and the Great Western Hospital. Mr Halden is correct in his previous letter regarding PFIs. I do recall that you Mr Small, were involved with PFIs at Swindon Borough Council and you and I well know that PFI’s are a waste of public money and are very onerous to manage by the local authorities and NHS trusts.

We all well know Labour’s record on the NHS is poor to say the least. Indeed they were the ones who first brought PFIs into being in government and local authorities. With regard to your remarks on UKIP and the NHS, you are completely wrong. I will outline UKIP policies on the NHS as follows: UKIP will ensure that the NHS is free at the point of delivery for all UK residents. We will stop further use of PFI’s in the NHS and will encourage local authorities to buy out their PFI contracts where possible and affordable.

We will ensure GP surgeries are open at least one evening a week, where there is the need. UKIP opposes plans to charge patients for visiting their GP. We will ensure all visitors to the UK, and migrants until they have lived in the UK for 5 years, have private health insurance as a condition of entering the UK, saving £2bn p.a. UKIP will commit to spending £200m of the £2bn saving to end hospital car parking charges. We will replace Monitor and the Care Quality Commission with elected county health boards to be more responsive scrutineers of local health services. These will be able to inspect health services and take evidence from whistle-blowers.

UKIP opposes the sale of NHS data to third parties. We will ensure foreign health services professionals coming to work in the NHS are properly qualified and can speak English to a standard acceptable to the profession.

UKIP will amend working time rules to give trainee doctors, surgeons and medics the proper environment to train and practise. There will be a duty of all NHS staff to report low standards of care.

Finally, I would say to Mr Kevin Small, do not keep knocking UKIP when you clearly need to ensure that Labour policies are in line with what local people require. I wish you well with Labour, as clearly you will need it.

John Short Chairman UKIP Swindon