Conservative MP Chris Green votes against more support for local GP and ambulance services

Newly elected councillor Deirdre McGeown with her recent health survey

Bolton West Conservative MP Chris Green 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.

Newly elected Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill councillor Deirdre McGeown has said that Mr Green 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. 

Councillor McGeown, who recently ran a health survey to shed light on residents’ frustrations, said: “Chris Green has shown a callous disregard for patients waiting in pain. Westhoughton and Hunger Hill residents 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.”

Councillor McGeown vowed to be the strong local champion that Westhoughton deserves when she won the recent Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill by-election.

Her health survey revealed that some Westhoughton residents have waited as long as 23 hours for an ambulance and 4 weeks for a GP appointment.