A&E waiting time figures in Folkestone and Hythe show Tories' "dismal record" on NHS

Only 83.6 per cent of patients arriving at A&E in Kent and Medway, including the Folkestone and Hythe area were treated or admitted within four hours in October 2019, according to damning figures published today by NHS England.

With the figure being well below the official target of 95% of patients attending A&E being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, Simon Bishop, Lib Dem candidate for Folkestone and Hythe, has reiterated his opposition to the proposed closure of Ashford A&E.

Nationally, the 95% waiting target hasn't been met since July 2015. Only 83.6% of patients arriving at A&E across England were treated or admitted in four hours in October, the worst-ever performance since a target was introduced in 2004. Kent and Medway match the England average.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Folkestone and Hythe, Simon Bishop, said:

"It is shameful that patients in Folkestone and Hythe are being abandoned, be it waiting for hours for treatment in A&E or for months in pain for routine operations.

"These figures reveal the Conservatives' dismal record on the NHS. For the past four years the Tories have utterly failed to invest properly in our health service, leaving local hospitals underfunded, overstretched and understaffed.

"With such dismal waiting times for A&E it is simply bonkers to think closing Ashford A&E is a good idea. It is time the powers that be take their fingers out of their ears and open to their eyes to the problems people in our area face when needing emergency treatment.

"Their extreme Brexit would make a dismal situation worse by driving away the EU nurses the NHS desperately needs.

"The Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit and build a brighter future. We will invest an extra £35 billion in our NHS through a penny on income tax and develop a national recruitment strategy to ensure we never again suffer shortages of nurses, doctors and other health professionals."

Today's NHS figures can be found here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20

The Liberal Democrats will put 1p on income tax from April 2020, with the revenue ringfenced for the NHS and social care. This is forecast to raise £35.1 billion over the next five years, Liberal Democrats will ringfence £11.2 billion of that money for mental health services, over 30% of money raised.

Doctors, nurses and other health professionals from the EU do not currently have to pay any visa fees to come and work in the NHS. However, under the Conservative's Brexit plans people coming from the EU to work in our NHS would have to pay a visa fee of £464 each.