Luton South MP tackles new Prime Minister Liz Truss over NHS crisis

Luton South MP Rachel Hopkins challenged new Prime Minister Liz Truss at Prime Minister’s Questions asking ‘why the public should trust her to deliver on the NHS crisis?’

You can see a video of Rachel Hopkins putting the question at Prime Minister's Questions today in the Twitter post within this article.

Mrs Hopkins said she recognised that access to healthcare was a vital issue for people in Luton South.

A majority of people who responded to her Luton South Summer Survey faced delays when attending A&E and found it difficult to access dentist or GP appointments.

She said: “The new Prime Minister tells us she ‘will deliver on the NHS’ … because after 12 years of Conservatives driving our NHS into the ground, we have record waiting lists, people dying in ambulances outside A&E and nurses using foodbanks.

“So, given the Prime Minister has served in the past three Conservative Governments, on that watch, can she explain why we should trust her to deliver?

“People across the UK are waiting longer than ever before in pain and discomfort for NHS services. Recent figures state that a record 6.7 million people are waiting for NHS treatment and thousands of patients waiting more than 12 hours to be admitted to Accident and Emergency departments.

"In her post-election speech as new Conservative Party Leader, Liz Truss identified delivering on the National Health Service as a priority.”

Mrs Hopkins added: “The next Labour Government will build an NHS fit for the future and get patients seen on time. It will provide the NHS with the staff, equipment, and modern technology required, so the NHS is always there when we need it.

The Prime Minister commented: “I don’t agree with the way she is talking down our NHS.

“The fact is that our health service did brilliantly in tackling Covid, in delivering the vaccine rollout, and in getting this country back on its feet, but we do face challenges now, with the backlog following Covid, and this is why the new Health Secretary is going to work to address those challenges.”