Andrew Marr: The government needs to act now to save the NHS or risk being kicked out in the next election

20 December 2022, 19:00

The government needs to act now to save the NHS or risk being kicked out in the next election, Andrew Marr has said.

Opening LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, the presenter reflected on the state of the health service amid mass strikes.

"The polling company Ipsos Mori regularly asks people what makes them proud to be British," Andrew said.

"In their latest survey from August, it wasn’t the royal family that led the list – they got 28% - it wasn’t the entire span of our history that made most people proud to be British – 33% - no, by a long margin, the thing that made us proudest of our nation was the NHS.

"Now hold that thought while we consider a second poll done by the same highly respected company.

"This time they were asking how confident people were in their local NHS services over the winter.

"Back in January 2015, 72% of us were confident and just 16% weren’t.

"But in the latest survey carried out this month, the numbers are dramatically reversed.

"Just 44% of people have confidence in the NHS this winter and a majority 54% don’t.

"Something has gone very, very wrong, beyond even the immediate crisis of the nurses strike, which could go on for another six months, and the ambulance strike which starts tomorrow."

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Andrew Marr reflects on the state of the health service amidst mass strikes

Andrew continued: "I’ve given you some numbers so listen now to some words, this time from a paramedic in the west country called Kristin Houlgate.

"She tweeted: 'Today was the worst shift I've ever had in the ambulance service. The entire system has collapsed. We're no longer practicing emergency medicine. We're just desperately trying to put out fires & triage the sickest patients but it's just not enough.

"'There are literally hundreds and hundreds of emergency calls in the stack with no resources to send. This is true up and down the country. People are dying waiting for ambulances as we queue outside ED's, themselves in crisis & experiencing critical incidents.’

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"Well, you might say that’s just one person’s view. But tonight this statement came in as well: 'Due to the immense pressure on our services, the Trust has declared a critical incident at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan. Our A&E is full. Do not attend, unless you have a life or limb-threatening emergency.'

"Ministers are advising us to avoid all dangerous activities.

"Meanwhile, so far as we can tell, the cabinet did not discuss the NHS or strikes or ambulances or nurses at all today but did manage to discuss arrangements for the King’s coronation at some length.

"It seems to a lot of people that the NHS, our most prized national possession, yes, even beyond kings and coronations – is collapsing.

"If this government aspires to be anything more than a temporary holding administration, hanging about until they lose an election, somebody has to pull their finger out and fast."