Conservatives must make manifesto commitment of £350m a week for the NHS, say doctors

'Such an injection of funding would have a transformational impact on our National Health Service'

Chuka Umunna says failure to deliver the promise would show the Conservatives to be 'a cynical shower of hard Brexiteers' (Getty)

Doctors, academics and public health officials have called on the Conservative Party to include in its general election manifesto a commitment to spend £350m a week on the NHS, in keeping with the notorious posters of the Vote Leave campaign.

In an open letter organised by Vote Leave Watch and the Healthier In campaign, the group of medical doctors, academics and public health experts say that for the mandate of the referendum to be respected, the Conservatives “must promise in their manifesto to spend £350m extra per week on the NHS once Britain leaves the European Union.”

They continue to say that “failing to do so would reveal the hollowness of their pledge”. Labour’s Chuka Umunna, chair of Vote Leave Watch, said that failure to deliver the promise would show the Conservatives to be “a cynical shower of hard Brexiteers”.

The letter has been signed by a number of the country’s leading medics, including Dr Kailash Chand OBE, the former deputy chair of the British Medical Association.

In the open letter, the 40 health professionals say: “As health professionals with long experience in the National Health Service and medical research, we know that the NHS faces a critical funding situation.

"The Government bases its mandate for leaving the EU on the vote in the referendum. Yet the iconic symbol of the campaign to leave was the claim that there would be £350m extra every week for the NHS.

“Tomorrow, the Conservative Party is expected to set out its manifesto for this general election – an election, we should not forget, that they called in order to gain a bigger mandate for Brexit negotiations with the EU.

"We are absolutely clear that they must promise in their manifesto to spend £350m extra per week on the NHS once Britain leaves the European Union.

"Such an injection of funding would have a transformational impact on our National Health Service. Failing to do so would reveal the hollowness of their pledge, and let down everyone who works in, cares about and depends on our NHS.”

The Conservative Party will publish its election manifesto on Thursday.