Comments made by a registered nurse suggesting Conservative voters don’t deserve to be resuscitated have been slammed as ‘immoral’ by Bracknell’s MP. 

James Sunderland told TalkTV that the claims made during a live TV debate with Jermey Vine are “complete nonsense” and health care is free at the point of need “for everyone”. 

During the Britain on the Brink debate, ex-NHS Miranda Hughes said: “If you are there to do a job as a compassionate person, there are no resources, and you are told persistently on the news that ‘care homes are being ringfenced’. It’s a lie and I’m sorry but if you have voted Conservative, you do not deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS.”

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Ms Hughes, who now works in the private sector, was subsequently sacked by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – the independent regulator for nurses, and nursing associates. 

To say that Conservative voters shouldn’t be resuscitated is “not very moral” and the comment “doesn’t resonate”, Mr Sunderland said in response. 

“Conservatives are compassionate. I’m very compassionate, I think that all of my colleagues are compassionate. It’s a tough job to do but government is difficult,” he added. 

After being challenged on her remarks by the audience and the presenter, Ms Hughes went back on the comments, insisting: ‘No, of course I would, of course I would.’ 

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Mr Sunderland said that the government are “throwing resources” at the NHS since the coronavirus pandemic and it has “never before” been better funded. 

“This is about efficiency in management as much as government support for the NHS,” he suggested. 

The Department of Health and Social Care budget for 2022/23 is £173.8bn, which is the largest overall spend on record – notwithstanding the unprecedented increase during the pandemic – according to Treasury data. 

However, when accounting for the annual rises in inflation, the service has seen real-term cuts since 2010. 

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The NHS budget rose by a below inflation average of 1.4 per cent between 2009 and 2019, this is compared with an average annual increase of 3.7 per cent since the NHS was established.  

There are fears that services could be slashed further as spending cuts are required to make up the shortfall from the tax cuts promised during the chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s market-spooking mini-budget last month.  

Mr Sunderland stated that there is “no magic bullet” to solve the problems facing the county. 

“We can only find a way through hard work and if that means not resuscitating Conservative voters, I’m afraid that’s a bit far,” he said.