CANDIDATES battled it out over health policy in a hustings meeting ahead of the Assembly elections on May 5.

Candidates hoping to join the next National Assembly laid out their party's health policies at the meeting in the Royal Gwent Hospital on Wednesday night.

South Wales East candidates Veronica German for the Liberal Democrats, William Graham for the Conservatives, Debbie Wilcox for Labour and Lyndon Binding for Plaid Cymru also took questions from the audience, largely made up of health care professionals.

Ms German told the hustings, organised by the British Medical Association that politicians could not just issue diktats and had to listen to “people at the coal face.”

Mr Graham said the Tories would protect the health budget year on year for two years and would reintroduce prescription charges but not for under 18s, over 60s and the elderly.

But Mr Binding said the ring fencing plan is “ridiculous” and would force other budgets to be cut by 13 to 14 per cent.

Ms Wilcox said Labour would improve access to GP surgeries for working people and keep free prescriptions.

Jackie Abbey, a GP from Brynmawr, said she was constantly dismayed by the misuse of resources of A&E and prescriptions, and asked the panel what they would do about it..

Mr Binding said there was no easy answer: “It has to start with educating people. I believe that there is a significant role that pharmacists can play, specifically around the prescription element.”

Both Mr Graham and Ms Wilcox said people should be encouraged to realise that the health system is a privilege.

“We certainly want to have a complete look at unscheduled care,” said Mrs German, who said her party is looking at introducing a number for non-emergencies.