51Âþ»­

An expert on health policy has challenged candidates from all five main political parties standing in Leicestershire and Rutland to answer questions on the future of the NHS at an election hustings on Wednesday.

Sally Ruane, deputy director of the Health Policy Research Unit at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­), has been working with colleagues on the Leicester Mercury Patient Panel, which she chairs, and Save Glenfield Children’s Heart Centre to organise the event in order to try to put the NHS into the debating arena ahead of the General Election on June 8.

Prospective parliamentary candidates from the five parties have been invited to attend the hustings on Wednesday, May 24, in 51Âþ»­’s Hugh Aston building.

Dr Ruane said: “The future of the NHS is something which affects all of us.

“Only recently we heard from an opinion poll that, along with Brexit, the NHS is ranked by people as one of the two most important issues facing the country.

“So it is really important that we are able to address this locally where, I think it is fair to say, our health service has been under significant pressure.”

Already confirmed are Harborough constituency candidates Zuffar Haq (Lib Dem), who is a lay member of the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group for Leicester, and Eyres Monsell GP Dr Teck Khong (UKIP).

Labour’s Chris Kealey, who is standing in the Bosworth constituency, and Leicester South Green Party candidate Mags Lewis, who has worked in the past as a manager in the NHS, have also accepted the invitation. And joining them will be Edward Argar, incumbent and Conservative candidate for Charnwood Constituency.

People from across Leicestershire are now being urged to send in questions to put to the candidates, and to book seats at the event.

Only a limited number of questions can be taken during the meeting so questions will be selected to avoid duplication.

The hustings will run from 6.30 to 8.30pm (the audience are asked to be seated by 6.15pm), with car parking available on the campus, off The Gateway (LE2 7DP).

Seats should be booked via the and questions should be submitted by midday on 23^rd May to sruane@dmu.ac.uk