NHS Waiting Times: What Changes Could The New Labour Government Bring In?

NHS waiting times have been a major concern for many patients and healthcare professionals across the UK recently. With the new Labour government now in power, there is considerable interest in what changes might be coming to help fix this issue. In this article, we will examine the current state of NHS waiting times. We will also take a look at the Labour government's proposed plans aimed at reducing these waiting times.

Key Takeaways

Here are the top 5 biggest points made in this article about the healthcare policies put forward by the Labour Party that could impact NHS waiting times:

• NHS waiting times are currently averaging 14.8 weeks, with a significant portion of patients experiencing long waits.

• Labour plans to establish a ‘Fit For the Future Fund’ to ensure the NHS is well-resourced and capable of meeting modern healthcare demands.

• The Labour government aims to build and upgrade hospitals across the country, addressing the infrastructure needs of the NHS.

• Labour intends to train thousands more midwives and GPs, improving patient care and access to primary healthcare services.

• The Labour government will enhance the NHS app for better patient accessibility, digitise children's health records and implement a modern appointment booking system to streamline the process for patients.

What are current NHS waiting times?

According to official data published by the NHS, the average NHS waiting time as of February 2024 is 14.8 weeks. From February 2023 until February 2024, 7.5 million patients were referred for treatment in the NHS. Of these 7.5 million, 6.3 million patients were unique. Of these patients, the below figures faced long waits:

• 305,050 patients waited over 52 weeks.

• 75,004 patients waited over 65 weeks.

• 9,969 patients waited over 78 weeks.

• 252 patients waited over 104 weeks.

57.6% of patients experienced a wait of up to 18 weeks. This is supposed to be at least 92%. 

Video: Why people voted for Labour's healthcare pledges

In the video below a voter explains why they chose to vote for Labour in the 2024 UK general election:

What have Labour pledged to change in the UK healthcare system?

Following the election on June 4th, the Labour party now has a majority of MPs and Sir Keir Starmer is Prime Minister. This means that they can put forward and pass legislation around a number of issues, including health care. In the Labour manifesto, a number of policies about healthcare were suggested. These include:

‘Fit For the Future’ fund

• Labour will establish a ‘Fit For the Future’ fund to ensure the NHS is well-resourced and able to meet modern demands.

New Hospitals Programme

• They plan to initiate a New Hospitals Programme to build and upgrade hospitals across the country.

Changes to the NHS app

• Labour aims to enhance the NHS app to improve accessibility and functionality for patients.

Train thousands more midwives as part of the NHS Workforce Plan

• They will train thousands more midwives to support the NHS Workforce Plan and ensure better care for mothers and babies.

Digitise the Red Book record of children’s health

• Labour plans to digitise the Red Book to streamline the recording of children’s health information.

Enable vaccinations for babies and children as part of health visits

• They will enable vaccinations for babies and children to be administered during routine health visits.

Train thousands more GPs

• Labour will train thousands more GPs to address the shortage and improve patient access to primary care.

Guarantee a face-to-face appointment for all patients

• They will guarantee a face-to-face appointment for all patients who want one.

Deliver a modern appointment booking system

• Labour will implement a modern appointment booking system to make scheduling easier for patients.

Create a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service

• They will create a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service to expand the role of pharmacists in patient care.

Dentistry Rescue Plan

• Labour proposes a Dentistry Rescue Plan to tackle the crisis in dental care and ensure better access to services.

Making cigarettes illegal for children

• They will make smoking cigarettes illegal for children to combat underage smoking.

Ban vapes from branding and advertising

• Labour plans to ban the branding and advertising of vapes to reduce their appeal to young people.

Ban advertising of junk food to children to combat childhood obesity

• They will ban the advertising of junk food to children as part of their strategy to combat childhood obesity.

Sources

Build an NHS fit for the future – The Labour Party