MP demands the recall of Parliament over NHS crisis

Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has called for Parliament to be recalled immediately amid estimates that 500 people each week are dying due to A&E delays.

It comes as shocking new figures revealed that in South Cumbria and North Lancashire, almost one in four of all patients arriving by ambulance in the week beginning December 12th waited more than an hour be handed over to A&E: 125 out of 514.

Meanwhile, the latest NHS statistics also show that more than four in 10 cancer patients were waiting more than two months to receive their first treatment.

Last week, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust announced that between 25-30% of the hospital beds in Lancaster, Kendal and Barrow are being occupied by people who should be receiving their care in the community.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a five 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.

Tim said: "This is a life or death situation for people in Cumbria and right across the country.

"The NHS is collapsing in front of our eyes whilst the Prime Minister and Health Secretary are nowhere to be seen.

"This is a national crisis and therefore it's 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 soaring numbers of deaths."