Candidate runs election campaign from hospital bed
A parliamentary candidate campaigned from his hospital bed after he was rushed to A&E with acute pneumonia and suspected sepsis.
Dr Christian Lucas was taken to hospital in late November after he became unwell, meaning he was unable to hit the streets as the Brexit Party candidate in West Bromwich East.
Instead the NHS dentist mounted a social media campaign from his hospital bed – having waited 15 hours in a cramped emergency department before being admitted to ward.
Dr Lucas, who is currently recovering, says his experience gave him a first hand view of the problems in the NHS.
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He said an increase in the population had made it "impossible" to plan for healthcare infrastructure, leading to a shortage of cubicles, beds, doctors and nurses.
"The problems that beset our NHS are self inflicted and are a consequence of decades of mismanagement from career politicians who have never worked a day in the NHS in their lives," said Dr Lucas, who believes he has the expertise necessary to help rescue the NHS.
"It is time to get people in politics that know how to run healthcare organisations."
During his campaign Dr Lucas targeted allegations of corruption in Labour-run Sandwell Council, saying he will call for an independent probe into the authority if elected.
He also wants to reclaim The Public for community use, after the £74m former arts centre in West Bromwich was shut down in 2013
Dr Lucas has also campaigned on Brexit, accusing Labour of turning its backs on the 68 per cent of people in the constituency who voted to leave the EU, while also criticising Boris Johnson's deal with the EU.
He said: "The only way to get a real Brexit done is to change the political landscape, as Parliament is currently occupied by MPs who don’t want to leave the EU," he said, claiming the Brexit Party would "change politics for good".
Other candidates in West Bromwich East are Nicola Richards (Conservative), Ibrahim Dogus (Labour), Colin Rankine (Yeshua), George Galloway (Independent), Andy Graham (Lib Dem), and Mark Redding (Green).
