West Cornwall MP Andrew George congratulates NHS staff for a notable improvement in emergency waiting times.
Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust is the country’s most-improved trust for 12-hour waiting times, albeit from a low base. In the winter of 2024/25, 11.5% of patients had to wait over 12 hours to be admitted to hospital following a visit to the Emergency Department, compared to 21.8% a year earlier.
Commenting on the figures, West Cornwall MP Andrew George said “It is encouraging to note signs of positive progress. I congratulate dedicated frontline NHS staff, who I know will take pride from this achievement. I’m sure NHS leaders will work hard to ensure that Cornwall gets all the resources it needs to eliminate 12-hour waits altogether.”
Mr George recently brought Liberal Democrat party leader Ed Davey to Penzance to highlight the continuing pressures on NHS services since West Cornwall Hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre was closed overnight. “When patients can’t access treatment at WCH, they can only go east, potentially adding otherwise avoidable pressure on Treliske’s Emergency Department. I’ll keep up the pressure to secure a clinically safe 24/7 Urgent Treatment Centre at WCH.”