Hooray, our Tory MPs are finally going to stick it to their party and stand up for our health service in its hour of need.

At least that’s what Derek Thomas and Sarah Newton are claiming, but anyone holding their breath can probably expect a longer wait than a hernia patient at Treliske.

Mr Thomas says he will be speaking to chancellor Philip Hammond and health secretary Jeremy Hunt about the current crisis at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, while Mrs Newton has apparently already spoken with the latter. I was quite surprised she managed to find Mr Hunt's latest hidey hole, which I imagine by now is a treehouse somewhere, blanket on head.

She said the secretary has recently visited Treliske twice, although for all the visibility he had he may as well have ducked behind a bush again, just in case any reporters might spot him.

For all their fighting talk, when it comes down to it Cornwall knows its MPs will side with a government which has systematically cut NHS budgets, apparently for mainly ideological reasons.

In seven years in parliament, Mrs Newton has rebelled 11 times - mainly protecting Christians who don't like marriage equality - although she did stick up for pasty makers against dastardly Dave Cameron's tax hikes. George Eustice has rebelled 12 times, and Mr Thomas has broken ranks once.

In January, both Mr Thomas, Mr Eustice and Mrs Newton all voted with the Tories against plans for extra social care funding and a better NHS settlement, which could have forestalled our current woes. Mrs Newton also toed the party line last year against a proposal to publish and consult on sweeping changes to the NHS.

For all their words, our MPs are as true blue as an overworked orderly’s scrubs.