Lib Dems Vow To Fund Healthcare From Bank Fine

:: Follow the election results live on skynews.com, our mobile apps and on Sky News TV from 10pm on Thursday.

The Liberal Democrats are promising to use the £227m fine imposed on Deutsche-Bank for rigging the Libor rate to fund investment in the health service.

The party plans to use the money to upgrade and replace high value equipment such as CT and MRI scanners.

The funding would be in addition to the £8bn-a-year extra funding Nick Clegg has set down as a red line for any coalition negotiations.

The money would be shared across the nation with trusts able to bid from a pot of £148m in England, £15m in Scotland, £8.6m in Wales and £5m in Northern Ireland.

The remaining £50m would be divided between 20 air ambulance trusts.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: "Investing in new equipment for hospitals will drastically improve patient outcomes and save thousands of lives a year.

"When banks are fined it is only right we use the money to improve vital public services and fund the organisations that do so much to build a fairer society."

The Department of Health will oversee a bidding process and it is hoped every trust that applies will receive some equipment.

But the Tories have earmarked the same money to boost the number of apprentices which could lead to more areas of disagreement in a future coalition.