An MP has voiced her concerns over a proposed policy that could lead to cuts in staff and services.

North Shropshire MP, Helen Morgan, has criticised the Labour Government's plan to raise employer's National Insurance Contributions for GP practices, hospices, social care providers, and health charities.

She has argued that this could have a detrimental impact on the NHS and care services.

The MP said that a North Shropshire GP reached out to her after the Budget was announced, warning that the NIC increase could 'kill the family doctor'.

Mrs Morgan, who is also the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health and Care, said: "It's hard to believe that a decision to increase employer's national insurance contributions and also lower the threshold at a cost of £566 per person can have been properly thought through before the Budget was delivered.

"That decision is going to hit GP practices, it's going to hit hospices, it's going to hit social care providers and it's going to hit the charities that provide so much additional care outside the formal NHS structure."

GP practices are not eligible for Employment Allowance and have no flexibility over prices.

This means that 'any increase in tax can only lead to cuts in staff and services', unless the Government 'steps in to fund the cover'.

This could, according to Mrs Morgan, potentially worsen the existing NHS and care services problems.

Mrs Morgan has argued that the issues with long ambulance waiting times and queues at A&E in Shropshire stem from inadequate primary care services.

She believes that if people are unable to see a GP or access care, they have no choice but to call 999.

The MP also highlighted that the Budget did not adequately address social care, which she described as the 'elephant in the room'.

The Lib Dems are calling for the Government to either exempt GP practices from the NIC hike or fund the difference.

They argue that the NHS cannot be fixed without first addressing primary care services.

Mrs Morgan said: "A local GP got in touch with me over the weekend to say this decision will serve to directly undermine access and patient care at a time when practices are already under strain due to years of neglect.

"Another said, it will kill the family doctor, because GP practices aren't eligible for Employment Allowance, they can't put up their prices and their only option is to cut staff and services, and that would be a disaster.

"Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government either to exempt GPs from this NIC hike or to ensure that they are funded to cover it."

On care services and ambulance waiting times, the MP added: "You can’t fix the NHS without fixing care.

"We know that there are thousands of patients in hospital who are medically fit to be discharged and would recover better at home, in their own bed, but who are stuck in hospital because the social care packages are not available.

"Bed-blocking causes patients to be unable to flow through a hospital when they arrive to be admitted, it causes those queues of 12, 13, 14 ambulances that we see outside hospitals in Shropshire, and it means those ambulances don’t arrive when someone is in a life-threatening position."