Responding to Rishi Sunak’s speech on 4th January, Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, commented:

“Rishi Sunak’s speech will be of no comfort to the many patients waiting in pain to see a doctor in Bath and across the country.

“At the very moment he is talking about potentially reducing waiting times in over a year's time, people right now are literally dying as our heroic nurses, doctors and paramedics are left completely abandoned. Ambulances are piled up outside our A&Es and hospitals are urging people to stay away. "

“The Prime Minister needs to get a grip. He must finally recognise the size of the problems we face, declare a ‘national major incident’ and put forward an emergency health plan so the NHS can get the support it desperately needs."

“He is disturbingly out of touch with the urgency and severity of this crisis. The Prime Minister’s key points sounded more like a hit list of Conservative Government failures than a plan of action."

“In the last year we have had three Prime Ministers, four chancellors, four health secretaries and zero improvement in the multiple emergencies gripping the country."

“Just like his predecessors, Rishi Sunak has no grasp of the crises crippling the UK and the only real route to improvement is through a change of Government.”