UKIP'S prospective Parliamentary candidate has claimed a study into ways to improve High Wycombe's health services will not be objective.

David Meacock, who will be attempting to get Wycombe residents' votes at next year's General Election, said a study launched by Steve Baker MP will not be neutral because the consultancy firm who will carry it out is led by two people who previously oversaw controversial changes at the town's hospital.

Wycombe's Labour group last week pointed out Durrow's senior leaders are Ruth Harrison and Derek Smith.

Ms Harrison oversaw controversial changes at Wycombe Hospital which led to A&E and maternity services moving to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Mr Meacock said: "This study will fail to address the biggest problem facing the NHS: too much demand caused by uncontrolled immigration. Having said that, any contribution to consideration of the best way of providing the services local people want and need is to be welcomed in principle.

"Experienced politicians, however, know that studies like this need not only to be objective, but just as importantly, they need to be seen to be objective.

"Sadly this consideration appears to have been overlooked with now a perfectly understandable fear that the required neutrality reasonably expected of such a study could be potentially compromised by the authors seeking to justify the actions they oversaw. I shall await publication of this report with interest."

Mr Baker told the Bucks Free Press last week the report would be published on his website in the autumn.

He said: "I am aware that Ruth Harrison was involved in the changes we suffered under Labour but to suggest she was the driving force is to fail to understand how the NHS and the health professions have changed over the years.

"It’s very easy to blame the officials who deliver policy but the fact is that policy emerges from politics and expert advice. I was not prepared to ignore a potential solution to the problem of urgent care at small hospitals just because Labour would have a line of attack."