Green Party ditches plan to 'reduce' childbirth interventions, as it pledges 'game-changing' £50bn for healthcare
The Greens are shelving a pledge to reduce the number of medical interventions at childbirth, a senior party figure has told Sky News, as it unveils plans for a bumper health and social care package.
Concerns had been raised over the party's earlier pledge to reduce the number of medical interventions in childbirth.
The plan, which has since been deleted from its website, referenced the fact medical interventions in childbirth have escalated in recent years, "particularly the rate of caesarean sections which are expensive and, when not medically required, risky".
"We will work to reduce the number of interventions in childbirth and change the culture," it read.
Election latest: Tories took more cash from donor condemned by PM
Asked earlier on Sky News about the policy, deputy Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: "Pregnancy can be really traumatic for people, and this is a really sensitive subject.
"Ultimately, this will not be in our manifesto, which will be launching next Wednesday," he told Sky's Kay Burley.
"It's not that we have changed our minds," he said when challenged, before adding advice would need to be issued by experts on the matter before the policy could be included.
'Game-changing social-care plan'
He was speaking to unveil the party's new "game-changing" £50bn plan for health and social care by 2030.
The package, which would be provided over the next five years, includes £30bn for the NHS to go towards increasing workers' salaries and providing better access to GPs and NHS dentists.
The remaining £20bn is earmarked for social care, which the party said would mend the "broken" system.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said earlier the policy would be funded by "asking the very richest in our society to pay a modest amount more in tax".
'NHS at breaking point'
He said: "Our NHS is at breaking point following 14 years of underfunding. Patients are stuck in hospital corridors, people can't see their GP or NHS dentist when they need to and staff are severely overstretched.
He added: "Our plans are credible, deliverable and fully funded."
👉 Tap here to follow Politics at Jack at Sam's wherever you get your podcasts 👈
Mr Polanski told Ms Burley the tax would only apply to millionaires and billionaires: "Just a modest 1% on assets of over £10m of more, as well as bringing capital gains tax in line with income tax.
"At the moment, we're taxing unearned income less than we're taxing earned income, and that seems unfair. Taking all of these measures together raises about £40 to £60bn a year that we could put straight back into our National Health Service for real hope and real change."
Rival plans for healthcare
Labour has said it would help get the NHS "back on its feet" by delivering 40,000 extra appointments per week and upping evening and weekend clinics, bringing back the family doctor and improving local care.
The Tories have pledged £1bn to increase the number of GP appointments, building 100 new GP surgeries and modernising a further 150.
The Liberal Democrats have committed £2.7bn to help "end the hospital crisis" by offering free personal care to free up beds and by helping the elderly to "stay in their own homes longer".
The Green Party has just one MP, Caroline Lucas in Brighton Pavilion, who is stepping down this year.
In this election the Greens are targeting Bristol Central, North Herefordshire and Waveney Valley - as well as Brighton Pavilion.
