Welsh Conservatives have repeated their calls for further government investment in the NHS following this week's comments by the Royal College of Nursing in Wales.

The organisation has called for the health budget to be protected and - raising fears over the future of the NHS – its director has warned change and commitments, such as free health checks for the over 50s, are currently unaffordable.

The Welsh National Health Service is facing the toughest funding settlement in the UK. If this year's draft budget is passed as it currently stands, almost half a billion pounds will be cut from the NHS – in real terms – by 2015.

Shadow Minister for Finance, Paul Davies AM, said:

"Our NHS remains on the edge of a financial abyss.

"We have long called for the budget to be protected in real terms – as it is in England – but the ignorance of Labour ministers has left us with the worst deal in the UK.

"The RCN's comments echo our fears and it is more than clear that urgent investment and support is needed for frontline services."

Shadow Minister for Health, Darren Millar AM, said:

"I wholeheartedly agree with the RCN on health budget protection. Whatever happens from this point, it is clear that more investment is an absolute priority.

"The health minister's plan simply isn't working and our NHS is being driven into the ground.

""It is Labour's record-breaking cuts that are forcing plans to downgrade hospitals and close services. Frontline staff deserve far more support and the health service must be properly resourced so that it can provide local services to local people."