The waiting list for NHS hospital treatment rose to a record of nearly 7.8 million in September 2023. And the 18-week treatment target, enshrined in the NHS constitution, has not been met since 2016.
About 3.2 million people in England are now waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment. So what are the four parties promising? Labour promises to hit the 18-week NHS waiting target within five years for non-urgent health conditions through 40,000 more appointments every week.
They promise to deliver an extra 2 million NHS operations, scans and appointments every year. The Conservatives promise to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 and build or modernise 250 GP surgeries. They also plan to build 50 more community diagnostic centres and unlock 2.
5 million more NHS dental appointments in their dental recovery plans to reduce waiting lists. The Liberal Democrats plans include giving everyone the right to see a GP or the most appropriate practice staff member within seven days, or within 24 hours if urgently needed. They also aim to give everyone over 70 and everyone with long-term health conditions access to a named GP and introduce a universal 24/7 GP booking system.
The Reform “contract” pledges an extra £17 billion a year for the NHS. It also pledges to bring the NHS waiting lists to zero in two years, while implementing fundamental reform, including introducing basic rate tax relief on private healthcare. A careful analysis of the 2024 manifestos reveals that a lot of these.
