CONCERNS about the NHS and social care for the elderly topped the agenda at a hustings at Oxford Town Hall yesterday.

The event was organised by Age UK Oxfordshire to allow older people to quiz parliamentary candidates for Oxford East.

A number of questions from the audience focused on what one person described as a “care home crisis”– on the day when the Oxford Mail revealed one in four of the county’s care homes require improvement or are considered inadequate by the Government’s watchdog the Care Quality Commission.

Labour candidate Andrew Smith was unable to attend as his wife Val is ill.

He was represented by Oxford City Council leader Bob Price, while Liberal Democrat county councillor Roz Smith stood in for the party’s candidate Alasdair Murray.

UKIP candidate Ian MacDonald and Socialist Party of Great Britain candidate Kevin Parkin attended, along with Ann Duncan of the Green Party and independent candidate Chaka Artwell.

The candidates were asked what they would do to improve standards of care both in care homes and for those who are cared for at home.

Mr Price and Ms Duncan said both of their parties were dedicated to creating a national care service which would be integrated with the NHS.

Mr Price said: “Labour wants to recruit 5,000 new care workers as part of a national care service.

“Care workers do a fantastic job but the system does not provide the level of support workers need. Our commitment is to establish a single health and social care system and an NHS free at the point of use.”

Ms Duncan said: “The Greens would provide free care for the over-65s.

“We need much tighter accountability and more transparency in care homes.”

Candidates were then quizzed on what their parties would do to protect the NHS if they are part of the new government formed after the General Election on May 7.

Ian Macdonald said UKIP was completely committed to the NHS being free at the point of use and that economic growth would help to fund the service.

Ms Smith said the Liberal Democrats would make sure money was spent more efficiently in the NHS and Ms Duncan said the Greens would invest more than £10bn a year in the NHS.

Audience member Patsy Williams then asked what each party would do to stop energy companies charging people more if they do not pay their bills online. She said many older people do not use computers and were left out of pocket.

Mr Price said: “We need to break the monopoly of the big energy companies and we need smart meters to cut out the practice of companies sending estimated bills.”

Conservative Party candidate Melanie Magee was absent, as was Mad Hatter of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and James Morbin of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.