More money for the NHS
Much will be said during this election about the health service and Tory privatisation plans, hospital closures, waiting lists and times. The criticism will be well earned.
However, here in Wales the health service is devolved and has been under Labour control since 1999.
We have longer waiting times and we also have hospitals being downgraded and closed.
The children's ambulance service has been put in private hands and run from Bristol, people are being sent outside of Wales for operations such as cataract surgery, and scans are provided by private firms.
In both cases those in charge seem to be burying their heads in the sand and denying there are any problems.
Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Pontypridd Mike Powell knows from first-hand experience just how good our NHS can be. Last September he was taken to hospital with, he thought, a chest infection.
If it wasn't for the doctors there who diagnosed sepsis and the excellent staff caring for him then he wouldn't be here today.
"We have first class staff in the NHS, most of who are just as frustrated as we are over missed targets and waiting lists.
"We need to make sure they have the resources to enable them to do their jobs effectively and the NHS is not only free at the point of need but is easily accessible in a timely fashion."
The Liberal Democrats would increase income tax by 1% in order to ensure our NHS is properly funded.
This would give Wales an extra £300million a year which could be invested in health and social care. The current service just cannot cope with demand.
Money is not the only problem of course – there needs to be a rethink of management and less political interference.We also need to recruit more medical staff – a task that will not be made easier by Theresa May's hard line on Europe.
