Cameron's Promise To Protect NHS Spending

David Cameron will promise to ring-fence the NHS budget during the next parliament if the Tories win the 2015 general election.

In his speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mr Cameron is expected to say: "The next Conservative Government will protect the NHS budget and continue to invest more.

"You can only have a strong NHS if you have a strong economy."

The Prime Minister will tell delegates his own experience with his son Ivan, who died in 2009 at the age of six, has helped him to understand the importance of the NHS.

However, he will warn there will also be cuts saying austerity measures are necessary, but that families will benefit. The country needs to find £25bn in cuts to balance the books.

He will say: "The past four years have been about laying the foundations for that Britain. The next five will be about finishing the job.

"Put another way - if our economic plan for the past four years has been about our country - and saving it from economic ruin ... our plan for the next five years will be about you, and your family - and helping you get on."

The Prime Minister's focus on the National Health Service is a direct response to Labour leader Ed Miliband's pledge to create a £12.5bn fund .

Some party delegates disagree with the move. Conservative Party member Jonathan Galbraith said: "Politically it might make some sense given that Ed Miliband talked a lot about the NHS last week.

"That being said, we have spent a lot of money on the NHS, so I'm not entirely convinced by it myself."

Andy Burnham MP, Labour's shadow health secretary, responding to reports of David Cameron's speech to the conference, said: "Labour has already pledged an extra £2.5bn over and above Tory plans to pay for 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 GPs - investment that David Cameron has failed to match.

"People will take David Cameron's pre-election pledges on the NHS with a large pinch of salt.

"Last time, he promised 'real-terms increases' but then cut NHS spending in his very first year in office.

"He promised to protect the NHS, but it's getting harder to see your GP and waiting times are going up."

There are fears the pledge on the NHS will lead to cuts in other areas and speaking on Sky News, the Leader of the House of Commons, William Hague, warned: "You have to be prepared to make savings elsewhere and we have been showing in this conference that we are prepared to do so."