04Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM panic visit to North Shropshire a cynical attempt to gloss over decades of neglect

PM panic visit to North Shropshire a cynical attempt to gloss over decades of neglect

Parliamentary news
Commenting on Boris Johnson's visit to North Shropshire, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "The Prime Minister turning up in North Shropshire is nothing less than a panic visit, two weeks out from the election because he’s scared of an upset. "His visit will be seen for what it is - a cynical attempt to gloss over the fact that people are worried sick about ambulance wait times and feel taken for granted. "The people of North Shropshire are ready to send a message to Johnson’s government: their local health services have been failed, local farmers are being failed, and Shropshire couldn’t be further away from his levelling up agenda. “We need to send this Prime Minister a message that he can’t just jump in…
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27Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
GP Shortages: Only 4-in-10 able to get same-day appointment

GP Shortages: Only 4-in-10 able to get same-day appointment

Parliamentary news
Only four in ten (40.3%) of people were able to get a same-day appointment with their GP in October, a two-year low, NHS figures published this morning have revealed. Meanwhile over one in four (28.8%) people had to wait eight days or more for an appointment, the highest level since before the pandemic in February 2020. The Liberal Democrats said the figures showed the government must urgently fix the GP recruitment crisis, and warned that delays to GP appointments are piling more pressure on A&Es ahead of a difficult winter. It comes after Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted on Sunday that the government is not on course to meet its target of recruiting 6,000 more GPs by 2025. Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “People…
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27Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Prognosis for new health centre for Shaw and Crompton looks promising

Prognosis for new health centre for Shaw and Crompton looks promising

Borough news
“Best Christmas present ever if it happens,” is how local Liberal Democrat Shaw councillor Howard Sykes described the plan for a new health centre for the district. Shaw and Crompton councillors have been informed that a new health centre for Shaw and Crompton now looks possible by March 2023, but only if certain imminent deadlines are met. Local councillors have been fighting for a new health centre for local patients for many years, being increasing concerned local people are missing out and disadvantaged. Shaw Councillor and Liberal Democrat Group Leader Howard Sykes MBE said: “The current health centre is clearly no longer fit for purpose and we are in desperate need of a replacement modern facility. Shaw and Crompton residents have found it frustrating that, whilst their neighbours in Royton…
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24Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government admits all ambulance trusts in England on high alert

Government admits all ambulance trusts in England on high alert

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Prime Minister to host an emergency COBR meeting after it was confirmed all English ambulance trusts are at breaking point. In response to a written question by Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper, the Government admitted that all ten ambulance trusts in England were at the highest alert level (Level Four) on 22 October 2021. This means all are simultaneously facing “extreme pressure” with delays across the country rising. The Government took over a month to respond to the question and has failed to make a statement to Parliament on the issue. It comes after the latest NHS figures revealed ambulance response times reached their highest levels on record in October. The Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency plan to support ambulance services…
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23Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats challenge GP waiting times after COVID

Liberal Democrats challenge GP waiting times after COVID

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrats have taken up the problems that many residents currently face on waiting times to get an appointment with their GP, after they uncovered that the data on which practices were doing well or poorly was not even being collected. Leader of the opposition on Oldham Council, Howard Sykes MBE, said: “Too many people are not getting the service they need from their GPs, and we were not getting any reasonable explanation as to why. “GP numbers in Oldham have risen over the last six years, while patient numbers per GP have fallen, yet that doesn’t match with people’s experiences of struggling to see a doctor. “After asking the Health and Wellbeing Board (16/11/21) for answers, I have been told that they will now start collecting this data,…
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26Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Public sector pay: NHS and social care workers to face £900m NI tax rise

Public sector pay: NHS and social care workers to face £900m NI tax rise

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of giving with one hand and snatching away with the other on public sector pay, given the national insurance tax hike and worsening cost of living crisis. Previous analysis by the House of Commons Library commissioned by the Liberal Democrats estimates that those working in health and social care will be faced with a tax hit of over £900 million due to the Conservative government’s manifesto-breaking hike to national insurance. The research shows a nurse or midwife on an average salary would see their tax bill rise by £310 next year, care home workers would pay around £140 more and ambulance staff would face a £420 increase. The average NHS worker across all staff groups will pay £315 more a year. Liberal Democrat…
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25Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lack of clarity on NHS funding an insult to millions waiting for treatment

Lack of clarity on NHS funding an insult to millions waiting for treatment

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have said the government’s decision to brief a Budget announcement on NHS funding to the media before Parliament is an "insult" to the millions of people desperate for answers on when they will get their treatment. Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper tabled an Urgent Question in Parliament today on the issue that was granted by the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. He warned ahead of the debate that the move was unacceptable and that the government “shouldn't try to run roughshod over this House". Speaking in response to Daisy Cooper’s question, Minister Edward Argar failed to provide clarity on where the funding was coming from and said that the details would have to wait until the Budget. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:…
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17Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
NHS backlog: Govt failing to get to grips with crisis

NHS backlog: Govt failing to get to grips with crisis

Parliamentary news
Reacting to new statistics which show there are a record 5.7m people in England waiting for hospital treatment - a figure growing by 100,000 a month - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care Munira Wilson MP said: “These damning figures show the government is failing to get to grips with the crisis facing the NHS. “Our health service was already under intolerable pressure before the pandemic, with waiting lists at a record high following years of Conservative neglect. Ministers must ensure there are now enough resources to cope with the difficult winter ahead. “Urgent action is needed to boost the NHS workforce and make sure patients get the care they deserve. That must include recruiting the extra GPs the Conservatives promised, to take pressure off our hospitals and…
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13Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
UK not prepared for winter health pressures

UK not prepared for winter health pressures

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Royal College of Physicians findings that one in three doctors say their organisation is not prepared for winter, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: “Health and care staff find themselves facing a huge backlog of care and record waiting times as they head into this winter. These stark figures show just how many are feeling burned out, overstretched, and deeply concerned about their ability to cope. “The fact that one-in-three doctors have concerns about the upcoming winter shows that the Government is not providing enough support to those working on the front lines. This is not only letting down staff, but letting down patients too. “We urgently need a long-term workforce plan to ensure that health and social care providers are both…
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24Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
NHS and care workers to face £900 million tax bill under National Insurance hike

NHS and care workers to face £900 million tax bill under National Insurance hike

Parliamentary news
Nurses, care home staff and other health and social care workers will pay over £900 million more in tax under Boris Johnson’s increase to National Insurance, new research reveals. Analysis by the House of Commons Library commissioned by the Liberal Democrats estimates that those working in health and social care will pay 12% of the £7.4 billion expected to be raised from employees through the tax rise. The estimate also doesn’t include those working in health and social care who are self-employed, meaning the real figure is likely to be even higher. The Liberal Democrats said this showed the government was launching a “tax raid on NHS and care home heroes” who have been on the frontline of the pandemic. The research also shows the expected tax hike that will…
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