NHS plight now critical

THE worst A&E performance figures on record are painful evidence of the damage inflicted by an uncaring Conservative Government on our beloved NHS.

Bad weather has been blamed but the truth is, the NHS did much better in the Labour years, with larger spending increases producing results. Now, Tory austerity has created longer waits for treatment.

Nearly one in seven patients in England are forced to hang around more than four hours before being assessed. This is dreadful.

Many of these cases involves a worried, distressed and suffering victim. They are not mere figures on a Tory balance sheet.

After hanging his head in shame, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt should secure vital extra funds from miserly Philip Hammond.

Before the Tories, winter crises had become rare. Now, our NHS is in critical condition.