Local MP candidate calls for Parliament to be recalled over the NHS crisis

In recent days ambulance services across the country have declared “critical incidents”, whilst ambulance staff have also been urged to conserve oxygen supplies due to a surge in demand. Locally, both Ashford and St Peter's hospital and NHS Surrey Heartlands, which provides health services across Elmbridge Borough, have declared critical incidents as a result of the pressures they are currently facing. This will mean many non-urgent operations, treatments and outpatient appointments will be rescheduled.

This is just the latest in a series of crises that has pushed local health services to breaking point and left Esher and Walton residents facing unacceptably long waits  for ambulances, hospital treatment and GP appointments. 

Monica Harding, the local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, is demanding the Government pass an emergency health plan and declare a “national major incident” this week to save lives and ease the pressure on overstretched nurses, doctors and paramedics. 

The Liberal Democrats have set out a 5 point winter plan to tackle the ambulance crisis including launching a campaign to recruit more paramedics, increasing the number of hospital beds and boosting funding for social care.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Esher and Walton, Monica Harding said: 

“This is a life or death situation for people in Esher and Walton and right across the country. 

“The NHS is collapsing under the strain of this winter in front of our eyes.  In the past week, our own local health service provider and one of our major local hospitals have declared critical incidents. Yet the Prime Minister and Health Secretary are nowhere to be seen. This is a national crisis and therefore it is only right MPs get back to Westminster to fix the problem. The Prime Minister must declare a major incident now to put the NHS back on a pandemic-style footing amid potential deaths.”

This latest crisis comes on top of difficulties getting face-to-face GP appointments, long hospital waiting lists and nightmare waits at A&E.  The critical incident in Surrey Heartlands declared last week means many local patients’ non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments will now be postponed. Something has to be done and the Government must step up and act.”