Shadow health minister’s visit

The Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care visited Peterborough City Hospital to see firsthand the “unprecedented pressure” NHS staff are under at the hospital.

MP Wes Streeting was given a tour around the hospital alongside the Labour’s parliamentary candidate for PeterboroughAndrewPakes.

"I wanted to bring Wes to the hospital today to both to recognise the incredible work our NHS staff team are doing and to hear first-hand the pressures facing staff across the hospital and primary care system,” Andrew said.

The visit comes as staff shortages have put pressure on the NHS, causing increasing A&E waiting times and staff working longer hours.

“The staff here are consummate professionals and could not be working harder todealwiththeunprecedented pressure that the hospital is under,” MP Streeting said.

"You can see the conditions that the staff and patients are having to struggle through–whetherthat’sstaff providing corridor care, or patients waiting longer than 12 hours in A&E departments. They were telling me about some cases where people have been waiting for days.

“This is not an acceptable situationfortheNHStobein. At the heart of the challenge facingtheNHSisaworkforce crisis. It’s no surprise that people are waiting to be seen whenthere’snotenoughstaff there to treat them.

"In Peterborough, they have done a good job in recruiting and retaining nurses. It’s important to acknowledgethatevenwiththe system in crisis there are still examples,whichI’veseentoday, of excellent practice and real professional pride. Even against the most unimaginable challenges the NHS is facing, they are still looking at new ways of doing things.”