The National Health Action Party is launching its general election campaign in the Maidstone and the Weald constituency on Sunday - not with a “battle bus” but a battle ambulance.

The vehicle will be in Mote Park from 10am on Sunday with the party’s local candidate Dr Paul Hobday on board.

The party is fielding 12 candidates across the country - all from a medical backgrounds.

Dr Hobday was a local GP for 30 years. He said: “We’re the only party that is serious about fixing our NHS.

“We’re the only party you can trust to do the job.

“The NHS has always been there to fix us when we were ill. Now it needs us to restore it to health.”

Dr Hobday said that NHAP wanted an immediate cash injection for the NHS.

He said; “We need a strong NHS for a strong economy. The NHS is not a drag on the economy. Investing in healthcare stimulates economic growth and keeps the workforce healthy, while austerity increases the need for health services and drags down our NHS. The NHS isn’t unsustainable or unaffordable. It’s under-funded.

“We spend the least of all G7 nations on health.”

The NHAP was launched in 2012 by doctors, nurses, paramedi??cs?, NHS ?staff and ordinary members of the public in opposition to the coalition’s top-down NHS reorganisation.

Dr Hobday said: “We’re fighting for a healthy NHS that puts patients before profits.

“We’re fighting for a properly funded NHS that helps you and your family when you’re at your most vulnerable. But we’re also fighting for a healthy Britain and healthy society. That means a fair economy, an end to austerity and a parliament that works for people not politicians.

“The way a society delivers its healthcare reflects the values and nature of that society and the people who live in it. The way our political leaders are behaving, fawning to the nasty voices in our society, is moving us towards a society based on fear and self-interest. We don’t believe the majority of the British people want this sort of society. We hope you will join us in pushing for a society based on fairness, equality of opportunity and compassion.”

The party said that the prospect of a hung Parliament could put MPs who are independent of the main parties in a very powerful position whoever forms the next government.

It said even just a couple of NHAP MPs could make a difference, by insisting that health was the top election issue.

Dr Hobday said: “Voters should use the ballot box to send a clear message - stop running down and selling off our NHS.”

*The seven candidates for at the general election for the Maidstone and the Weald constituency are: Jasper Gerard (Lib Dem), Helen Grant (Con), Paul Hobday (National Health Action Party), Robin Kinrade (Ind), Hannah Patton (Green), Eddie Powell (Ukip) and Allen Simpson (Lab).