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Conservatives promise health premium for poor areas

Richard Moss | 14:35 UK time, Friday, 22 January 2010

Ministerial red box with an NHS signThe NHS - and who can run it best - is clearly going to be one of the big battlegrounds in the next few months.

Of course, it's traditionally been a weak area for the Conservatives, but now it's David Cameron's number one priority.

At least that's what the the Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told me when I went to interview him for this week's programme.

He was at the , looking at their maternity unit and critical care facilities.

Invited, so I understand, by the Chairman of the Trust (with half an eye to which way the political wind is blowing I guess).

One of the policies the Conservatives are trumpeting to prove the NHS could be safe in their hands is the

Basically, public health funding will be targeted at the poorest areas with the worst health indicators.

So places with bad records on teenage pregnancy, alcohol abuse and obesity will get more than areas which are prosperous and healthier.

Andrew Lansley MPSounds reasonable, and it allowed Mr Lansley to talk about more money coming to Sunderland than Surrey (I wonder what he says in Woking).

Labour though say they already target money at the areas that need it most.

But the Tories say some of the money which was supposed to tackle public health problems like teenage pregnancy has been diverted into the general NHS budget.

Can the Conservatives be any more successful though in tackling a health problem like obesity?

, but then changing people's behaviour is probably one of the toughest tasks in politics.

Of course, what the "Health Premium" does offer the Tories is a chance to attack Labour's record on poverty, and stress that Cameron's brand of Conservativism is focused on helping the least fortunate in society.

Expect more of the same in the weeks to come.

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