Labour Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth reassured Labour candidates in the Ealing area that more money will be pumped into the NHS in the event of a Labour general election win.

Long waiting times at local hospitals have consistently brought down the quality of patient care in London, with the situation this winter particularly difficult.

Mr Ashworth claims that £37 billion will go into the NHS over the next parliament should they win with the bulk of funds raised from taxing the top 5% of earners.

He said: “The NHS under the Tories is going through the biggest financial squeeze in its history.

“The top 5% should pay a little bit extra tax, because we believe those with the broader shoulders should contribute to the running of the NHS.”

Mr Ashworth also promised a pay rise for all NHS staff, involving local people in the decision-making-process, halting privatisation of parts of the health service and scrapping car park tickets in all NHS hospitals. 

“This election next week is about the future of the NHS, about the future of schools in Ealing,” he said.

“This is going to go to the wire.” 

Labour candidate for Ealing and Southall Virendra Sharma, whose grandchildren were born at Ealing Hospital, said a nation can only be healthy through investing in health, education and employment.

He claimed the scale of cuts, additional fees and shoddy management has starved the country of the skills required in a modern health service.

He said: “It’s an old rotten management tool which brings the service down, bringing inefficiency into it, and making sure you blame the workforce and others rather than taking responsibility.

“If you’re not investing into health how can you expect a healthy workforce.”

Ealing Hospital is also where the Labour candidate for Ealing Central and Acton, Rupa Huq said farewell to her late mother. 

She said: “My mum was in there, me and my sisters were on mum watch every day and she breathed her last breath in there.”

Rupa went on to say that the Conservatives were using Brexit as a tool to distract and deflect the conversation from the NHS and other points of political contention.

In reality, she says, her party have popular policies that have nothing to do with Brexit, such as the £10 minimum wage and free school meals for infants.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has come under scrutiny as to whether he can implement the policies he promises.

“In this country we don’t have a presidential system, you vote for your local MP,” said Rupa.

“I ask people to judge me on my record.”