Weston-super-Mare Conservative MP votes against more support for local GP and ambulance services

Weston's Conservative MP has been criticised after voting against a Liberal Democrat amendment which would have committed the government to improving GP and ambulance wait times.

The amendment also called on the government to build the 40 new hospitals that had been promised and bring in measures to address the crises in the NHS and social care.

Weston-super-Mare Liberal Democrats have said that Penrose has shown a “callous disregard for patients waiting in pain” as NHS waiting lists hit a record 7.8 million earlier this month.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a clear plan to fix local health services, including giving people the right to see a GP in a week or 24 hours if in urgent need. 

Weston-super-Mare Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Patrick Keating said: 

“John Penrose has shown a callous disregard for patients waiting in pain. Weston. Worle and the Villages deserve local health services that provide the care people need, instead of being forced to wait for weeks on end for a GP appointment or hours for an ambulance to arrive. This Conservative government has run our NHS into the ground.

“Communities like ours have been taken for granted by the Conservative Party for far too long. Weston-super-Mare deserves a strong local champion who stands up for our health services in Parliament and voters know that with the Liberal Democrats they will get just that.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The record of the votes on the amendment can be found here.

The text of the Liberal Democrat amendment can be found here (amendment k).