MP says Health Minister told ‘outrageous lie’
HITS OUT AT CLAIMS OF ‘BUILDING UP’ AMBULANCE SERVICE
A NORTH EAST MP has hit out at the Government over its handling of a staffing shortage at the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and called for “urgent intervention.”
NEAS has said staff should “consider asking patients to be transported to hospital by friends or family” amid severe staffing shortages due to Covid19.
Wansbeck’s MP Ian Lavery has criticised the Government for failing to act despite warnings and called it a “truly dystopian” outcome.
The Labour MP said: “The recent reports coming out regarding the extent of the strain on the North East Ambulance Service are deeply concerning and require urgent intervention from the government.
“I met with senior representatives from the NEAS back in October and we all expressed grave concerns heading into the winter period about the capacity for the service to run throughout what was inevitably going to be an extremely difficult winter.
“The government have had time to act, yet once again have been caught on their heels.
“This has resulted in the extremely worrying reports that those suffering suspected strokes and heart attacks are being told they should consider seeking alternative transport to the hospital – a truly dystopian outcome.”
Health Minister Gillian Keegan said she would ask NHS England to look into the situation.
Speaking to Sky News, she said: “That is not what we have put in place at all.
“We have more ambulance crews in operation than we have ever had.
“We also gave £55 million extra just for this period to cover staff and make sure we had increases in staff and staffing levels.
“I’ve actually asked NHS England to look at that particular case because that doesn’t sound to me like that’s an acceptable approach.
“People should be able to get an ambulance if they have a heart attack and that’s why we’ve put that extra funding in place, and why we’ve been building up our ambulance service over the last couple of years.”
But Mr Lavery has hit back at the minister’s claims and said she has thrown the service under the bus.
He continued: “The Health Minister Gillian Keegan threw the trust under the bus by claiming the government have been ‘building up our ambulance service over the last couple of years.’
“While we seem to have become numb to high-profile politicians lying in recent years, this is an outrageous lie that simply cannot go unchallenged.
“In recent years I have travelled with ambulance crews, met with them and their union reps and I know these are some of the most dedicated healthcare workers in the world, working for one of the best performing trusts in the country.
“It is totally unacceptable for ministers to undermine the good will of these people who are doing the best they can in horrific circumstances.
“I have tonight written to the ambulance service seeking clarification on the scale of the crisis they are currently facing and what I can do to use my position to help in whatever they I can.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to all those in the North East Ambulance service who have worked so incredibly hard throughout the pandemic and who, like those who are seriously ill and in need of an ambulance, have been let down again and again by this government.”
NEAS has said it was forced to implement the “highest level” of a “clinical escalation plan” on New Year’s Eve as staff sickness due to the Omicron variant and huge demand continued, with around 18 per cent of all staff absent as of Tuesday.