Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on warnings from Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, that seven day doctor services are unrealistic and from Dr. Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine that the NHS is facing potentially the worst January in its history, said: 

“These are further warnings from health professionals of the impact that Tory cuts and neglect are having on one of our country’s most important institutions. 

“Record levels of delayed discharges, the crisis in social care, postponing operations, cuts in the public health budgets have all stored up problems for the NHS, to the point where the leader of the national body for acute hospital staff is warning that this could be the worst January in the NHS’s history. 

“Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard’s fears that seven day GP services are “unrealistic” will also raise widespread concerns about a flagship government pledge, and for healthcare that keeps people out of hospital. These are yet further warnings about the scale of the underfunding and understaffing now impacting our NHS. 

“In her six months as Prime Minister Theresa May has shown no regard for the state of the NHS. The Tories have broken their promises on the NHS and their policies are failing our health service and patients. In 2017 the government simply must not carry on ignoring the warnings. Instead they need to come forward with a genuine plan to give the NHS and social care the resources they need to deliver the very best care every patient deserves.”