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Jeremy Corbyn has quoted Donald Trump to attack the Tory "fake news agenda" on the NHS.

The Labour leader made the provocative comments at a hospital as it emerged 100,000 patients waited more than half an hour in the back on an ambulance so far this winter.

Theresa May insists "record levels" of funding are going into the NHS.

But critics say there is extra pressure on the service from inflation, an ageing population, and cuts to social care that leave people in hospital beds for longer.

Attacking Mrs May's claim, Mr Corbyn told a journalist at Lincoln County Hospital: "To misquote Donald Trump, that is a fake news agenda."

(Image: PA) (Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

"The NHS is stretched beyond belief because of its lack of resources. The Prime Minister told parliament 'we are better prepared than ever for the winter crisis'.

"Two weeks later... we see the reality of it, which is patients being treated in hospital car parks and ambulances."

He called for more money and said staff were concerned about the number of dementia sufferers being treated on a hospital ward.

It came as Labour analysis of official figures showed 104,987 patients waited more than half an hour in the back of an ambulance outside A&E so far this winter.

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(Image: PA) (Image: PA)

The figures, which cover eight weeks to January 14, also show 24,624 of those patients waited longer than an hour.

Although the number of A&Es that had to shut fell dramatically this week, from 52 in the same week last year to just six, beds are still dangerously high.

Bed occupancy rates are still at very high, with the average occupancy rate at 94.9% in the week to January 14, down only slightly from 95% the week before.

This was also down from the same week in 2017, when the occupancy rate was 95.4%.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA)

Health experts advise that occupancy levels should ideally be under 85%.

Anything over this level is regarded as riskier for patients as this leads to bed shortages, periodic bed crises, and a rise in healthcare-acquired infections such as MRSA.

A study published in the Emergency Medicine Journal found that

reducing bed occupancy to 90% or less led to a drop in death rates and

an improvement in waiting time performance in A&E.