The Conservative Manifesto 1997

Our Record - Health and Public Services

The Health Service is treating over l million more patients each year than before our reforms.

The number of people waiting over 12 months for hospital treatment has fallen from over 200,000 in 1990 to 22,000 last year. The average wait has fallen from nearly 9 months to 4 months.

The Government has set up the Citizen�s Charter to provide first class public services for all citizens. Nearly 650 organisations have received a Charter Mark for meeting demanding standards of performance, customer satisfaction and value for money.

There are now 55,000 more nurses and midwives and 22,500 more doctors and dentists than in 1979. For every senior NHS manager, 77 people are providing direct patient care.

Nurses average earnings have grown 70% in real terms: from �68 a week in 1979 to �325 in 1995. Doctor's pay has risen by a third. Under Labour both were cut.

Infant mortality has fallen from 13.2 to 6.2 per thousand over the last 18 years.

Deaths through road accidents are now the lowest since records began in 1926. Since 1979 road deaths have fallen by 43% and serious casualties have fallen by 43% despite an 85% increase in motor traffic.

The government has invested record amounts on transport - more than �26 billion since 1979 in investment on motorways and trunk roads; �16 billion on railways; and over �8 billion on London Transport.

Privatisation is delivering better services at lower costs. BT's main prices are down by more than 40% in real terms. Average household bills for gas and electricity have also fallen in real terms since 1990.