It comes as NHS waiting lists reach a record 7.6million.
A junior doctor has torn into the Tories for making the NHS among one of the worst health systems in Europe.
It comes after junior doctors launched their fifth round of industrial action over pay and working conditions. The BMA have announced strike action for 4 days from 7am on Friday 11 August to 7am on Tuesday 15 August.
Dr Andrew Meyerson says that the Tories ‘do not deserve to look after the NHS any longer’, after years of underfunding and underinvestment.
Appearing on Sky news, Meyerson was asked why junior doctors are striking again. He replied: “Can I be brutally honest with you? I don’t believe the British people are safe with this government running the NHS.
“I firmly believe that – they have allowed the system to go from the best in the world from 10 years ago to among the worst in Europe now.
“I think that’s just awful. They do not deserve to look after the NHS any longer.”
Meyerson also took apart the claim that it is junior doctor strikes which are worsening care for patients. He said: “This is very much a last option for us. We do not want to be here, we are desperate to go back and work.
“You see that the government in Scotland handled it in a very different way, making a reasonable offer to our BMA colleagues in Scotland, to signal to them that their work is important, that their labour is important.
“We have not had any similar commitment from this government to any aspect of patient care in this country for a very long time.”
It comes as NHS waiting lists reach a record 7.6million.
Meyerson added: “This is the crux of it: no matter what we do in the last 10 years, no matter how many experts in this country tell the government their health policy is wrong – it’s wasting your money – no matter what, they refuse to listen.
“And despite all of our best efforts to avoid any strike action, this is now the fifth time this government is allowing this to happen.
“Rishi Sunak is the son of an NHS GP. You’d think he’d actually care about the health service, but he’s going to be responsible for seeing its demise.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 117 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.