Nick Clegg calls for health improvements during visit to region

He spoke out amid claims Shropshire is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds a year treating Welsh patients coming over the border for hospital care.

There have also been calls for better access to services for patients in Powys, where there is no A&E hospital.

Mr Clegg was expected to throw his backing behind a campaign for A&E services to remain at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. But he was also calling for more nurses on Welsh wards and better mental health services for Welsh patients.

This will be Mr Clegg's second visit to the county this year, showing the importance the party is placing on attempting to regain the seat from the Conservatives.

He is visiting Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Jane Dodds, who will be standing for the Montgomeryshire seat in next month's election.

The seat is an important one for the Lib Dems and was considered one of the party's safest seats before a loss to the Tories in the 2010 General Election.

Mr Clegg said: "The Liberal Democrats' £8 billion NHS funding pledge means £450 million would go directly to Wales. That's millions of pounds that can go towards the plan for more nurses on Welsh wards and better mental health services for Welsh patients. Just like the rest of the UK, the health service in Wales needs investment."

Lembit Opik lost his seat in 2010 to Glyn Davies with a 13.2 per cent swing from Lib Dem to Conservative.

Mr Opik had enjoyed a majority of 7,173 after winning the seat for the second time in 2005, but found himself losing out by 1,184 votes to his Tory opponent.

During his visit to Newtown, Mr Clegg was visiting the Ponthafren Association, a mental health charity which works with people who have mental health issues, who are socially isolated or excluded, or those who want to make new friends or gain new skills.

He was highlighting the work of mental health services following his pledge last week to commit to spending £3.5 billion more over the next parliament on mental health care in England and to introduce the first waiting time standards for people suffering from mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, similar to those which exist for physical illnesses.