New figures just released have revealed the extent of the NHS crisis in Oldham.

2,756 people covered by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (which covers Oldham) waited over 4 hours to be seen in December. Even more alarmingly, 797 waited over 12 hours to be seen in December during the winter crisis.

Meanwhile, the average ambulance response time for the most urgent incidents in the North West was 9 minutes 58 seconds in December – well in excess of the NHS target of 7 minutes. 

Response times for urgent conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are even longer. Ambulance response times in the North West for these Category 2 emergencies are now 1 hour, 12 minutes, way above the 18-minute target.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a five-point plan to tackle the ambulance service crisis. The party is demanding the Government release the money they promised to help discharge patients from hospitals, as soon as possible. 

Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “The Government’s failure to tackle the crisis in our NHS is letting down people in Oldham and putting patients’ lives at risk. How much more evidence do Ministers need? They either don’t care or just can’t grasp the scale of this problem.

“Unacceptable and heartbreaking delays mean the Government is falling far short even on its own targets.

“Far too many people in Oldham are having to wait far too long to get the treatment they need. In many cases, this is literally a matter of life or death. People in our area deserve far better.

“Our NHS isn’t just at breaking point – it’s splitting at its very seams. We need action from the Conservatives. Liberal Democrats are demanding the Government release the money they promised to help discharge patients from hospitals, and launch a campaign to recruit the extra paramedics and ambulance staff we need.”