We are the Party of the NHS

In a keynote speech in Bolton this week, David Cameron reaffirmed the Conservative Party's "wholehearted commitment" to the NHS, and explained how it can deliver the rising standards of healthcare people expect in the 21st Century.

David said he was committed to "the principle of a healthcare system that is free at the point of use, based on need and not the ability to pay". He also stressed that improving the NHS will require reform:

"We have to make the supply of healthcare more efficient and we must also do something about the increase in demand for healthcare. The first set of reforms is all about choice, competition, and a focus on outcomes not targets, while the second is all about public health."

The release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi

I completely support David Cameron's decision to write to Gordon Brown asking him to clarify his views on the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. This man should not have been released.

His release has been widely condemned in Britain and around the world, including by President Obama.

David said it was wrong to release Megrahi: "he was convicted of murdering 270 people - I do not believe he deserved to be released on compassionate grounds, or returned to Libya."

Read David's letter to Gordon Brown

We are proud of the NHS

A Message from David Cameron & our commitment to the NHS.

I've been enjoying the sun and touring my beautiful constituency of Witney today. But it goes without saying that just because I and most other politicians are not in Westminster at the moment, politics isn't somehow put on hold.

People still care about the issues they care about, and thanks to the internet they can voice their concerns whenever they want. Just look at all the support which the NHS has received on Twitter over the last couple of days. It is a reminder - if one were needed - of how proud we in Britain are of the NHS.

Millions of people are grateful for the care they have received from the NHS - including my own family. One of the wonderful things about living in this country is that the moment you're injured or fall ill - no matter who you are, where you are from, or how much money you've got - you know that the NHS will look after you.

That's why we as a Party are so committed not just to the principles behind the NHS, but to doing all we can to improve the way it works in practice. So yes, we will spend more on the NHS, but we will also improve it so that it is more efficient and responsive to patients. People working on the frontline will actually be able get on with the job they signed up for, without getting tied up in a web of targets. And we will put more power in the hands of patients by giving them better information about the care they can expect to receive.

Underlying these reforms, and our whole approach to the NHS, will be one big ambition - that future generations will be even prouder of the NHS than we are today.

DAVID CAMERON