Ambulance waiting times putting residents in danger

18 May 2022

Bath MP Wera Hobhouse has raised concerns to the Government over extensive ambulance waiting times putting residents in grave danger. This comes weeks after weeks after there were calls for an inquiry in the south west into hospital delays.

Recently, an elderly man in Bath was forced to sleep on the floor of a church as it took 12 hours for an ambulance to arrive. The Liberal Democrats have been sounding the alarm for months, calling for an urgent investigation into England’s ambulance services and a review of ambulance station closures. But the Conservative government keeps turning a blind eye to this disaster.

This includes urgent investment in A&E departments and a new Community Ambulance Fund, as well as a review of ambulance station closures in the region.

Commenting after Wera Hobhouse MP said:

“For too long the Conservative Government has ignored this crisis. It is putting patients in danger and cannot continue.

“A member of my team has stories of their neighbour waiting over 20 hours for an ambulance to attend. This is a national scandal. This issue is spiralling out of control and it’s simply not good enough that Johnson and his Government are turning a blind eye. Ignoring this crisis won’t stop the heartbreaking stories we hear every day of people stranded for hours on end for help that too often comes too late.”

"Patients and families across the South West deserve better than waiting in pain and distress, or even worse, losing loved ones. After years of driving the NHS into the ground, the Conservatives need to finally wake up to this life-threatening crisis, make a plan and deliver it to turn this situation around.”