As campaigning gathers pace ahead of May’s  General Election it is becoming increasingly clear that one of the most important battlegrounds will be the National Health Service. The major political parties seek to assure us that the NHS is safe in their hands and that if voted into power funding will be increased.

That is well and good but the vital question is how exactly is the money to be spent since in recent years we have grown used to seemingly endless tales of bungling and incompetence within the NHS.

Politicians need to convince the taxpayer that his or her hard-earned cash is not simply going to disappear down a black hole of bureaucracy but will instead be used to promote efficiency, increase medical staffing and thus improve the patients’ experience.

The NHS is something that we should all be proud of and most of us, I’m sure, cannot speak highly enough of the care and professionalism of our excellent though overworked doctors and nurses. The trouble is, they are hampered by incompetent leadership, a shortage of staff and in some cases by out-dated equipment. They deserve better and so do we, the public.