Lewes MP calls for end to ‘corridor care’ after research reveals 247 trolley waits in East Sussex over winter

The research, commissioned by the Lib Dems, revealed that there had been 247 trolley waits in East Sussex this winter.

A ‘trolley wait’ refers to the time a patient spends in A&E after a decision has been made to admit them to hospital.

The 247 waits of 12 hours or longer was a 12,250 per cent increase on last winter’s figure of two.

Mr MacCleary said: “Over the winter I heard countless harrowing stories of people suffering through endless waits in A&E, with truly horrific consequences.”

He said people should not accept that this ‘has become the new normal’.

He continued: “We must make sure that no one has to suffer through the indignity of corridor care ever again. That is why I am proud to join with my Liberal Democrat colleagues in calling for an end to corridor care. It is now down to this Labour government to step up and show the same ambition for patients here in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Polegate, Willingdon, Stone Cross and our local villages.”

Mr MacCleary’s call for action comes after a speech by the Lib Dems Health and Social Care spokesperson at the party’s Spring Conference in March. She challenged the Labour government to end corridor care by the end of the Parliament.

The Lib Dems said this could be achieved through a taskforce, which would ‘winter proof’ the NHS from future seasonal crises. They said this could be backed by a £1.5 billion ringfenced fund to ensure that hospitals can prepare for the surge in patients before it happens.