New figures released last week have revealed the extent of the NHS crisis in Cornwall, according to Cornwall-based Lib Dem candidate, Ruth Gripper.

At Treliske, 1,308 people waited over 4 hours to be seen in December. Even more alarmingly, 681 waited over 12 hours to be seen in December during the winter crisis.

Meanwhile, the average ambulance response time for the most urgent incidents in the South West was over 13 minutes in December - the worst in England, and well in excess of the NHS target of 7 minutes.

Response times for urgent conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are even longer.

Ambulance response times in the South West for these Category 2 emergencies are now 2 hours 39 minutes, way above the 18-minute target. Again, it is the longest average waiting time in England - across the country the average waiting time for Category 2 emergencies is 1 hour 32 minutes.

Ruth Gripper, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Truro and Falmouth said:

"The Government's failure to tackle the crisis in our NHS and social care system is letting people down right across the country, and people in Cornwall are suffering the worst of it.

"This is putting patients' lives at risk. Unacceptable and heartbreaking delays mean the Government is falling far short even on its own targets."

"How much more evidence do ministers need?

"This crisis hasn't happened overnight - for months and months now we have seen ambulances stuck at Treliske, the pressures have been apparent but it seems the government has only just started to wake up to the crisis.

"They either don't care or just can't grasp the scale of this problem and they are letting down patients, their families and the hardworking staff who are trying to provide care in desperate conditions."

"Far too many people in Cornwall are having to wait far too long to get the treatment they need. In many cases, this is literally a matter of life or death. People in our area deserve far better.

"We need action from the Conservatives. Liberal Democrats are demanding the Government release the money they promised to help discharge patients from hospitals, and launch a campaign to recruit the extra paramedics and ambulance staff we need. We need a proper workforce plan for the NHS, and a plan for social care, and we need them yesterday."