Tory claims over NHS funds ‘fake’
JEREMY CORBYN has described Government claims of record NHS funding levels as a “fake news agenda”.
His comments came after he said the way to solve the winter crisis was to put more money into the NHS.
Responding to Government claims it is spending more money than ever on the NHS, Mr Corbyn said: “To misquote Donald Trump, that is a fake news agenda.”
“The NHS is stretched beyond belief because of its lack of resources. The Prime Minister told parliament ‘we are better prepared than ever for the winter crisis.’
“Two weeks later... we see the reality of it, which is patients being treated in hospital car parks and ambulances.”
Speaking after a visit to Lincoln County Hospital, Mr Corbyn continued: “They can’t go on to the next emergency because they can’t get out of the car park, because they can’t safely let the patient leave.
“The pressures are unbelievable. The pressures of patients on trollies in the corridor waiting for a bed. That’s pressure, obviously on the patient and their families, but obviously great pressure on the staff.”
Speaking about ways of fixing the NHS, Mr Corbyn said: “A lot of it is about money. I’ve heard of the crisis that was on over the last few weeks.
“Obviously they (the staff ) are concerned about the number of older people coming who are suffering from dementia.”
Mr Corbyn also said he wants more money put into social care.
He said: “Social care is inadequate. People are coming in because they are desperate.
“Mental health patients are reaching out because they have got nowhere else to go – we have to invest in mental health services and social care.”
Adding to that, it is also believed the cold snap could further strain accident and emergency services already dealing with raised levels of flu and norovirus, as the number of flu-related deaths this winter rose to 120.
The latest figures from Public Health England show there were 17 flu-related deaths during the second week of the year.
Separate statistics released yesterday by NHS England show there were 12,600 ambulance delays of more than 30 minutes this week, down from 16,700 last week. Of these, 2,600 were delays of more than 60 minutes, down from 5,100.
NHS data also shows a fall in the number of bed closures due to norovirus or diarrhoea and vomiting from an average of 944 beds to 621 beds closed per day.
But NHS England added that there has been a “marked increase” of reports of norovirus and they are now above the five-year average for this week.
An NHS England spokesman said: “Raised levels of flu and norovirus continue to put pressure on busy A&Es and other frontline services but today’s figures show pressures abating somewhat compared to the prior week, and with hospitals generally continuing to cope.”