A LABOUR chief has said he will prioritise improving mental health among young people in Swindon if the party is elected.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth visited the town and outlined the party's vision for the NHS.

Proposals include implementing a national counselling service in schools.

He said: “There are lots of young people across Swindon in quite desperate need, sometimes harming themselves, maybe even thinking about taking their lives, who are just not getting any support from the system.

“Every secondary school will have access to a specialist counselling service so our young people are not neglected and forgotten like they are at the moment.”

Mr Ashworth met local NHS campaigners at Broadgreen Community Centre alongside Labour candidates Sarah Church and Kate Linnegar.

He said: “It’s time that Swindon people got the health service they deserve.”

Blaming the decade of cuts for the “dire” state of the NHS, the defending MP for Leicester South said: “The truth is you’ve had two Tory MPs in this area who have failed local people when it comes to the NHS.”

He said Labour would put £40 billion into the NHS, create 5,000 GP training places a year and recruit over 50,000 nurses, midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

Childhood obesity would be tackled by banning junk food adverts on TV at certain times.

Mr Ashworth promised more money for the Great Western Hospital.

He said: “Obviously it needs more investment in its infrastructure because it’s been neglected and it’s too small.

“So GWH will see the investment that it has been crying out for, for years.

“That’s a guarantee from Labour.”

Conservative hopeful for North Swindon Justin Tomlinson said: “Finally Labour have admitted that not only did they saddle the GWH with a rip-off PFI deal, but they built it too small.”

Mr Tomlinson said the Conservatives would ensure £36bn a year in extra funding, recruit 50,000 more nurses, 6,000 GPs, and create 50 million GP appointments.

And he said they would increase staff pay.

Mr Tomlinson added: “Locally this extra funding will see £30m used to expand our A&E and £15m for the new Radiotherapy Therapy centre. We will also end unfair hospital car-parking charges for NHS staff on night shifts, as well as disabled and terminally ill patients and their families.”