Funding for the rebuild of the Royal Lancaster Infirmary has been delayed FOUR times now. We were promised a new hospital in Lancaster as part of the 40 new hospitals Conservative manifesto commitment, and I had the opportunity to ask the Deputy PM at Prime Ministers Questions this week whether this is just going to be another broken promise.

The BBC reported just yesterday that building work is yet to start for 33 of the 40 hospitals that were promised back in 2019. Despite insisting that targets are being met, and telling me at PMQs that the NHS is being injected with billions of pounds worth of investment, it is clear that little to no progress is being made.

Whilst the Government dither and withhold progress, many hospital buildings including Lancaster are in a critical condition. The BBC report that they have identified several hospitals across England are literally at risk of collapse, with roofs propped up with scaffolding and posts.

Patients, their families and staff should be the governments priority. I will always fight for our NHS, and for communities across North Lancashire to get what they were promised.