I WORKED in a community NHS hospital as an occupational therapist for many years and we aided our patients to return home safely after a period of rehabilitation.

What is happening to our NHS currently is, however, incredibly concerning. For example, 13,000 beds, one in eight hospital beds in England, are currently occupied by delayed discharge.

In fact, so bad is the situation at present that some NHS trusts in Devon are moving patients who are medically fit but not able to go home to a hotel.

The idea of using hotels instead of care home or community hospitals being staffed they say by care staff – when the care homes are already short staffed – appears to be risky for vulnerable, mostly elderly people. The patients may stay weeks before going home.

Numerous other problems face our NHS, of course. Ambulance and A&E waiting times are worsening with more than half of people waiting in A&E more than four hours to be seen.

NHS staff are exhausted with high levels of burn-out causing problems with recruitment and retention.

Former Tory Health Secretary and current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt scrapped the bursary for nurses and therapists and this has had a long-term impact. Compounding matters is the government refusal to negotiate with NHS unions.

The most recent pay award was made before the cost-of-living crisis. Not talking to NHS /care staff unions about the 2022/2023 pay award and conditions is not conducive to reaching a settlement.

While Tory MPs propose charging for GP and A&E visits, for instance, it is only in Labour’s hands that the NHS is safe.

Once elected, Labour will, however, inherit public finances ravaged by over a decade of Tory mismanagement. That said, among its ambitions for health and social care, Labour will according to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting underscore the importance of prevention, early intervention, and public health so that longer term demand for NHS services is reduced.

Under a Labour Government there will be a renewed emphasis on NHS staff recruitment and retention, boosting primary care, and greater integration between health and social care.

And crucially, the intention is to restore the NHS to such a level of performance and satisfaction that those lucky to be able to afford it will not have to choose to go to private anymore.