Ambulance delays are so bad that GPs are actually being forced to drive patients to hospital themselves, doctors have claimed in an open letter to Rishi Sunak in which they urge the Prime Minister to recall Parliament to discuss the crisis gripping the NHS. The Doctors’ Association also warns the PM unless he leaves more staff will leave – and more patients will die.
The letter, signed by the Doctors Association UK and its supporters, explains: “Patients are waiting over 12 hours to be seen in emergency departments; consultations are taking place in the back of ambulances and in corridors due to bottlenecks in the system that impact on patient flow.
“In the community, GPs are consulting with 7 million people per week, dealing with patients who are getting sicker and sicker as they wait months for operations – and in some cases driving patients to hospital themselves due to ambulance delays.”
Mr Sunak was therefore urged to recall MPs from their Christmas recess immediately for an emergency debate on the state of the NHS, with elected officials not currently scheduled back until Monday.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Sunak pledged that “NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly”.
He added: “Covid has imposed massive new pressures and people are waiting too long for the care they need. We’re fixing that, but we need to do more.”
THIS IS A LIVE BLOG – SCROLL DOWN FOR REGULAR UPDATES…
