Hospitals in the UK have reported an alarming increase in "Victorian-era" diseases like scarlet fever, whooping cough and gout, which were believed to have been completely eradicated in the 20th century.
Fingers were quickly pointed along party lines. "Dickensian diseases on the rise in Tory Britain today. Isn't it shameful and as socialists we must respond", said Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health and social care secretary.
"The damning truth is austerity is making our society sicker. It means the poor die younger. Since 2010, while food banks scatter across the land admission to hospital for malnutrition have increased by 54%. 2,539 people were diagnosed with tuberculosis last year", he added.
Helen Donovan, the Royal College of Nursing's professional lead for public health, seems to agree.
"There are many reasons behind this but one thing that cannot be ignored is the effect of sustained cuts to local authority public health budgets which have caused the services that screen, prevent and protect against illness, and promote good hygiene to be scaled back," she said.
The news comes amid the Labour Party's announcement of its goal to increase the UK's life expectancy to match the best of Britain's international peers by 2030.
"We're committed to giving everyone five extra years of healthy, independent life by 2035 and reducing the gap between the rich and poor. We've already made progress, with cancer survival at a record high and smoking rates at an all-time low", a UK Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said.
