Catherine West MP was in Parliament this week to personally challenge the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt MP over the growing crisis in the National Health Service.

The current crisis our NHS faces is unprecedented. Our health service is on its knees with one third of hospitals having declared they need urgent help to deal with the number of patients coming through their doors.

A&E departments have turned patients away more than 143 times between 1 December 2016 and 1 January 2017. In one day last month 15 hospitals ran out of beds with elderly patients languishing on trolleys in corridors, sometimes for over 24 hours.

Instead of dealing with the crisis, on Monday Jeremy Hunt suggested that the four hour A&E target may be downgraded and no longer apply to minor injuries.

Responding to Jeremy Hunt’s statement on NHS performance, Catherine West raised the case of a local doctor who had contacted her in despair at the situation. You can watch her intervention here:

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/6eda3191-6f6f-4e7c-8e6a-8c3f40918f69?in=17:38:06

Catherine West MP said: “The crisis that we have seen unfold in our NHS over recent times is absolutely appalling. The Tories have consistently missed their own targets on A&E waiting times and instead of improving the service Jeremy Hunt is simply moving the goal posts.

“Labour is calling on the Government to bring forward the £700m of social care funding planned for 2019/20 now and to pledge a new funding settlement for health and social care in the Budget in March.

“Once again Jeremy Hunt is proving that you can’t trust the Tories with the NHS”