Jamie Reed MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, said:

“Patients will be alarmed that friends of Number 10 want to see charges for GP appointments and hospital care.

“If charges are introduced for seeing your family doctor, the most vulnerable people would be put off visiting – with potentially life-threatening consequences.

“Under David Cameron, prescription charges have been creeping closer and closer to £10 as these plans want – adding to the cost of living crisis.

“The Government must come clean on any plans to charge for NHS care. They have already lost people’s trust over the crisis in A&E and thousands of axed nursing jobs – this will only add to it.”