While UK politicians scrap for votes to help them gain power in the election, new data published by NHS England show that British people are struggling to survive as emergency hospital waiting times reach shocking levels.
NHS England figures for October show that just 83.6 percent of patients were admitted or treated within four hours – a long way off the UK government’s target of 95 percent. This target was introduced under the Labour Party in 2004, but has not been met since July 2015.
It means that one-in-six patients waited longer than four hours in Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) in England during the month of October.
The wellbeing of the NHS – a treasured British institution – is a major concern for people, coming second only to Brexit on their list of priorities. So, with the UK in the middle of a general election campaign, such woeful figures may have a damaging impact on the Tory government.
Perhaps sensing that this could have catastrophic consequences for the Tories, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth leapt on the new NHS figures, tweeting: “It’s official – the Tories have pushed our NHS into crisis.”
The Tories’ Health Secretary Matt Hancock attempted to downplay his government’s role in the poor statistics, insisting that his party was pledging the “biggest cash boost to the NHS but Corbyn’s chaotic policies will put that at risk.” The Tories have been in power since 2010.
Additional data published on Thursday shows that around one-in-four cancer patients are waiting more than 62 days to start their treatment – missing a target that has not been met since December 2015.
Knowing that the NHS will be such a pivotal issue in December’s snap poll, both the Conservatives and Labour have promised to spend big on it. Labour has announced that an extra £26 billion ($33.4 billion) will be allocated in real terms – around £6 billion ($7.7 billion) more than the Tories.