Lib Dems: A&E waiting time figures in Hastings show Tories' "dismal record" on NHS

Only 81% of patients arriving at A&E in Hastings were treated or admitted within four hours in October 2019, according to damning figures published on 14 November by NHS England.

This is well below the official target of 95% of patients attending A&E being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Nationally, the 95% waiting target hasn't been met since July 2015. Only 83.6% of patients arriving at A&E across England were treated or admitted in four hours in October, the worst-ever performance since a target was introduced in 2004.

Dr Emlyn Jones, a GP in Hollington for 30 years, and now the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Wishing Tree ward (at the May 2020 Borough election) said:

"It is shameful that patients in our Borough and further afield are being abandoned, be it waiting for hours for treatment in A&E or for months in pain for routine operations.

"These figures reveal the Conservatives' dismal record on the NHS. For the past four years the Tories have utterly failed to invest properly in our health service, leaving local hospitals underfunded, overstretched and understaffed.

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Nick Perry added:

"Their extreme Brexit would make a dismal situation worse by driving away the EU nurses the NHS desperately needs.

"The Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit and build a brighter future. We will invest an extra £35 billion in our NHS through a penny on income tax and develop a national recruitment strategy to ensure we never again suffer shortages of nurses, doctors and other health professionals," he said.

(photo of Dr Jones).

Notes to Editor:

Today's NHS figures can be found here:

The Liberal Democrats will put 1p on income tax from April 2020, with the revenue ring-fenced for the NHS and social care. This is forecast to raise £35.1 billion over the next five years, Liberal Democrats will ringfence £11.2 billion of that money for mental health services, over 30% of the money raised.

Doctors, nurses and other health professionals from the EU do not currently have to pay any visa fees to come and work in the NHS. However, under the Conservative's Brexit plans people coming from the EU to work in our NHS would have to pay a visa fee of £464 each.