Alastair Mitton, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) for Ealing Central and Acton is calling on the Government to wake up about the crisis in the NHS and get a grip on A&E and Ambulance waiting times which are putting lives in Ealing at risk.

Alastair felt compelled to speak out after seeing the situation first hand for himself at Ealing Hospital. His visit follows national medical bodies estimating that 500 people nationally each week are dying due to A&E delays and Government proposals to worsen the 4 hour A&E waiting times target.

Liberal Democrat Alastair Mitton said: "The staff at Ealing Hospital and the London Ambulance Service are doing an amazing job considering the circumstances. However, there is a major problem and it's clear that this Tory Government cannot be trusted with the NHS. People are now waiting literally hours for an ambulance or to be admitted into A&E. We know that delays in people receiving treatment for the most serious conditions can put their lives at risk or seriously affect their ability to recover properly from a serious incident like a stroke or heart attack. Now the Government is going to make things worse by going back on its commitment that people will be seen within 4 hours."

Alastair Mitton added: "Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have called for Parliament to be recalled immediately amid estimates that 500 people each week are dying due to A&E delays. The party is demanding the Government pass an emergency health plan and declare a "national major incident". This is a life or death situation for huge numbers of patients. It's time the Government sorts out the A&E and Ambulance Waiting Time crisis in Ealing by introducing our Liberal Democrat 5 Point Winter Plan which will save lives."

As reported in The Guardian, the President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that on average 500 people a week could dying each week due to delays in emergency care.

4 hour wait target: The 4 Hour A&E Target for emergency care states 95% of emergency patients should be seen, treated if necessary, and either discharged or admitted, within four hours from arrival at the emergency department (ED). It is a patient right set out in the NHS Constitution (for England). Note: There is also a 12 Hour Trolley Wait. This is a limit, not a target. It states patients should not wait to be admitted on a trolley (for e.g. in the ED or an ambulance) for over 12 hours. Clock starts at time of decision to admit.

 The IFS (June 2020) published an article setting out how The four-hour NHS waiting time target saves lives and the Government should think carefully about changes.

NHS published figures for A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions

London North West University Hospital Trust is responsible for delivering services at Ealing Hospital . Its latest performance figures (November 2022) for the Trust as a whole show that it is failing to meet the 4 hour wait times set out in the NHS Constitution even for emergency cases. It is likely that the situation will have got worse over Christmas and the New Year.

S Ambulance Quality Performance Data is published on the Department of Health website. It shows London Ambulance Service missing its response time targets for Category 1 and 2 call outs