Plans to cut waiting lists are welcome, but this must not be at the expense of patients waiting on trolleys, nor further extend privatisation 

Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech on the government’s plans to cut NHS waiting lists, local Liberal Democrat MP and Health Committee member, Andrew George said: 

“Cutting waiting lists is welcome, but this must not come at the expense of patients lying on trolleys in hospital corridors or in the back of an ambulance for hours on end. Nor should it be used as another opportunity to put private profit before patient care. 

“After years of Conservative failure and neglect, the Prime Minister must recognise we are once again in the midst of a brutal winter crisis, with patients suffering unacceptably long waits in ambulances and EDs that put thousands at real risk. 

“It doesn’t help that the government kicked social care reform into the political long grass last week. If the Health Secretary can commission Professor Darzi to produce an excellent report into much-needed restoration of the NHS in just 9 weeks, then it really shouldn’t take 3 years to do the same for social care. 

“We’ve indicated where the government needs to get the money to invest in both hospital and in social care to restore our services. The PM should reverse the Conservative corporation tax cuts on big business, and the banks, levy a windfall tax on the large energy giants, make big tech companies pay their way, and cut the tax loopholes which give billions to second/holiday property investors who don’t need it and invest that in restoring our health and care services.” 

Last week, Andrew made the following statement re. the announcement of the ‘critical incident’ status in Cornwall’s NHS:

Urgent action needed to address critical incident status – Andrew George