New figures from NHS England show almost 2.2 million more elective care appointments have been delivered between July and November in 2024, compared to the same period the previous year. Marie Tidball MP, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, welcomes these new figures, which show that the Labour Government have delivered a key manifesto promise seven months earlier than promised.
The news follows figures published last week which showed the waiting list has been cut by almost 160,000 since the government took office, compared to a rise of almost 33,000 over the same period the previous year.
This increase in appointments means 100,000 more treatments, tests, and scans for patients each week, and more than half a million extra diagnostic tests delivered. It means thousands of patients have received vital consultations, operations, scans, and treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, earlier than planned, helping them get back on with their lives and back to work sooner.
This is a result of Labour’s £22 billion increase in health spending, and marks a major a step towards delivering the Government’s milestone of hitting 18-week treatment target by the end of this Parliament – a core commitment in the Plan for Change.
The extra 2 million appointments - delivered in part by extra evening and weekend working - are underpinned by the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future, and wider ambitious reform plans. This includes plans to expand opening hours at Community Diagnostic Centres across the country, 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Last month, the Prime Minister also announced the Elective Reform Plan, which will restore the family doctor and cut waiting times further, to improve patient experience by getting people seen more quickly, closer to home.
Marie Tidball MP, Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, says,
“I promised on the doorstep that getting the NHS and public services back on their feet will be one of the top priorities of this Labour government. After just seven months in office, we’re already making progress.
“Our local health services have been life changing for me. World-class treatment I received at Sheffield Children’s Hospital meant I could go on to achieve my full potential.
“I want to thank the GP practices across our constituency for their hard work in delivering this milestone and cutting the waiting lists across our communities. We have a lot of work to do to restore the NHS, but this announcement shows that we are serious about change.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“Two million extra NHS appointments and a waiting list on its way down – we’re delivering on our promise to fix the NHS and make sure people get the care they need, when they need it.“This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the cancer patients who for too long were left wondering when they’ll finally start getting their life-saving treatment. It’s about the millions of people who’ve put their lives and livelihoods on hold - waiting in pain and uncertainty as they wait for a diagnosis.“We said we’d turn this around and that’s exactly what we’re doing - this milestone is a shot in the arm for our plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times.“But we’re not complacent and we know the job isn’t done. We’re determined to go further and faster to deliver more appointments, faster treatment, and a National Health Service that the British public deserve as part of our Plan for Change.”
Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:
“We have wasted no time in getting to work to cut NHS waiting times and end the agony of millions of patients suffering uncertainty and pain.“Because we ended the strikes, invested in the NHS, and rolled out reformed ways of working, we are finally putting the NHS on the road to recovery.“We promised change, and we’ve delivered, providing the two million extra appointments we pledged in just our first five months – a promise made, and a promise kept. The result is around 160,000 fewer patients on waiting lists today than in July.“That was just the first step. Through our Plan for Change, we are opening new surgical hubs, Community Diagnostics Centres at evenings and weekends, and using private sector capacity to cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”
Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive, said:
“Thanks to the hard work of staff and embracing the latest innovations in care, we treated hundreds of thousands more patients last year and delivered a record number of tests and checks, with the waiting list falling for the fourth month in a row.“There is much more to do to slash waiting times for patients, but the Elective Care Reform Plan will allow us to build on this incredible progress as we boost capacity and drive efficiency while also improving the experience of patients.”
News
Loading posts...