Both Labour and the Conservatives have criticised each other's plans for the NHS as the general election campaigning began in earnest.
Ed Miliband has re-pledged that NHS patients will have to wait one week for cancer tests, the guarantee for GP appointments within 48 hours in a speech in Salford on his party's election priorities.
Miliband said: "The Tories have damaged the NHS in these five years."
He added: "Give them five more and the NHS, as we know it, just won't be there."
The Treasury has produced costings of Labour's pledges on spending including the NHS and the Conservatives have criticised Labour for not having the money to pay for their pledges.
The total cost of what are described as "unfunded pledges" is £21bn including between £100m and £500m in the first year to fund the one week cancer tests for 95% of patients and state funded care at home to be between £200m and £250m in the first year.
The Labour party has also committed to 1000 extra nurses for the Scottish Health service in a separate speech by the party's Scottish leader Jim Murphy, which he said would be funded by a mansion tax.
The Labour party also launched a dossier on the state of the NHS saying it is in crisis, setting out their planned changes:
- A £2.5 billion a year NHS Time to Care Fund to pay for 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs and 5,000 more home care workers.
- GP appointment within 48 hours, and on the same day for those who need it.
- A maximum one-week wait for cancer tests and create a new Cancer Treatments Fund to improve access to drugs, radiotherapy and surgery.
- Repealing the NHS Health & Social Care Act.
- Allowing patients and public to "have a say" when changes to local services are proposed.
- Combining physical health, mental health and social care into a single service
As Labour released their dossier, health secretary Jeremy Hunt spent Sunday on Twitter with a theme of "the NHS as you know it."
This included a 51% increase in cancer tests since 2010 and Hunt also said today in a tweet: "Lab once again found out peddling tired privatisation myths to scare vulnerable ppl. Public deserve a better NHS debate ahead of election."(sic)
Douglas Alexander, the chair of general election strategy for the Labour Party said:"Another five years of this rotten government could put us on course for a doubling of the scale of privatisation as competition is put before patient care.
"That is why the NHS is on the ballot paper at this election. And that is why we will work morning, noon and night to save it."
Meanwhile, The British Medical Association (BMA) responded to Labour's dossier. Dr Mark Porter, council chair of the BMA said: "A doctor's primary duty is to their patient. It is vital that decisions around patient care are clinically not politically led.
"It is essential that the next government works in partnership with doctors to ensure the future development of the NHS and provide better coordinated care developed around patients' needs.
"The NHS needs more than party political promises to survive; it needs long-term, sustainable investment to ensure there are enough staff and resources to meet rising demand and provide the best quality care for our patients."
Meanwhile Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister and Lib Dem leader has also pledged to provide the £8bn to the NHS asked for by the head of NHS England.
