According to the prime minister, more NHS hubs would be established in local communities, and the private sector will be used more frequently to help lower hospital waiting lists in England. New plans to cut NHS waiting times
As he revealed proposals to address the NHS backlog, Sir Keir Starmer also pledged to give patients greater control over where they receive treatment.
Over 3 million people have already waited longer than the 18-week goal, and there are already 7.5 million people on the waiting list.
Over the next year, Sir Keir’s initiatives would cut the amount of lengthy delays by almost half a million.
Leaders of the medical community praised the strategy but voiced doubts about the availability of personnel to meet the objectives.
The plan consists of:
- Extending the network of surgical and diagnostic centres in the community to allow for additional care outside of hospitals
- Facilitating patient choice—this was implemented two decades ago, yet just one in four patients think they have a choice in where they receive care.
- A new agreement with the private sector to allow more NHS patients to receive care in private clinics, with a focus on gynaecological procedures and combined surgeries.
Sir Keir stated: “Millions of patients are waiting on waiting lists, frequently in agony or dread, their lives on hold, their potential unrealised, as a result of the NHS’s recent explosion in backlogs.
“We will fulfil our pledge to eliminate the backlogs with our elective reform proposal.
Sir Keir admitted that “some would not like this” in reference to the growing usage of the private sector, but he also stated, “I’m not interested in putting ideology before patients.”
By the end of this Parliament, 92% of patients should have started treatment or received the all-clear, according to a major Labour election vow that is now one of the government’s six top objectives.
Although it has been an official NHS goal for a while, it hasn’t been reached since 2015.
Three million patients are currently waiting longer, and just 59% of patients reach the 18-week goal.
Reaching 65% by March 2026 is the new pledge, which the administration claims will result in a backlog reduction of over 450,000.
The goal of community diagnostic centres is to provide faster, more convenient, and hospital-free care.
According to officials, they will offer up to half a million additional appointments annually.
Additionally, if necessary, general practitioners will have the authority to send patients straight to these facilities without first consulting a specialist.
Additionally, more surgical hubs will be established to concentrate on routine, simpler operations including cataract surgery and some orthopaedic work.
To guarantee that operating theatre time is not lost in the event of an emergency, these hubs are ring-fenced off from other areas of the hospital.
According to the new idea, a million appointments will be freed up annually for patients who truly need them if automated review appointments following treatment are eliminated and only offered to individuals who request them.
Additionally, officials believe that these additional appointments will be on top of the two million annual, or 40,000 weekly, appointments that Labour vowed to make within a year before the election, which is above the typical annual total of over 100 million.
Are you trying to buy your first house? Buy before the April stamp duty hike 2025