Prime Minister quizzed over waiting times

Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons

Mr Marsden used Prime Minister’s Question Time to highlight increased waiting times in A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital Foundation Trust (BVH), which he blamed on lack of government funding for social care.

A report in Monday’s Gazette revealed the number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E at BVH doubled in the last year.

Mr Marsden said: “Trust managers told me our biggest factor in delays is discharging people who can’t get community care.

“My local paper said government cuts have eroded support for them.

“So will she stop waffling about her shared society, listen to her budget watch dog saying we’ll need £30bn for older people in the next 10 years and put that money not into corporation tax but into local adult care and NHS trusts.” Mrs May said there were now more doctors and nurses at BVH and £3bn of health spending in the area this year.

She added: “We are giving local authorities opportunity to raise more money and spend it on social care.

“But this is not just about more money, it is about ensuring best practice is spread throughout the country and it is about a long term solution to sustainable social care in the future, an issue that has been ducked by government including a Labour government for 12 years.”

Afterwards Mr Marsden said he would be pressing Mrs May further using written questions.